Napoli knocks out Milan and answers Inter's. Diavolo far from Champions League
Napoli folds Milan at home and answers Inter: Conte’s team thanks to a sprint start beat the Rossoneri 2-1 at the Maradona Stadium. Conceiçao got the starting lineup wrong, the Rossoneri woke up too late and had to deal with their ninth defeat in 30 league games, which condemned them to ninth place. The Azzurri, on the other hand, keep the Scudetto dream alive and are second, three points behind leader Inter.
Napoli’s lightning start: after just 61 seconds the hosts took the lead through Politano, who took advantage of a macroscopic error in defense by Theo Hernandez and Pavlovic on Di Lorenzo’s long throw. Milan did not hint at a reaction and the partenopei doubled on 19′ with Lukaku, served in the area by Gilmour. The shock start cut the legs of the Rossoneri, who were disastrous in defense and unable to create noteworthy actions.
At the beginning of the second half, Sergio Conceiçao changes everything by inserting Leao for Bondo and then Chukwueze and Gimenez for Joao Felix and Abraham. Milan shakes up mainly thanks to the entry of Leao, who creates one chance with a personal action and then a second wasted by Gimenez. At 68′ the Diavolo has a great chance to reopen the game: Hernandez earns a penalty kick after a foul by Billing, but Gimenez has his shot parried from the penalty spot by Meret.
Milan transformed by the changes, however, is increasingly dangerous, while Antonio Conte is forced to change Lobotka due to physical problems, Juan Jesus in his place. The Azzurri lowered their center of gravity dangerously and the guests finally opened the game again with Jovic. At’83’ the Serbian scored from two steps after an’action orchestrated by Leao and finished by Theo Hernandez.
The last few minutes of fire, Milan goes all’gun in search of the equalizer and Napoli defends as best it can to keep the Scudetto dream alive. Conte’s team holds on and gets three golden points.
