Pioli has spotted a Napoli weakness, but will Spalletti find solutions?

ANALYSIS Pioli has spotted a Napoli weakness, but will Spalletti find solutions?

Seye Omidiora 21:50 - 17.04.2023

The Rossoneri’s attacking transitions have punished the Partenopei in recent games, and the side trailing will strive not to play into Milan’s hands again.

Luciano Spalletti’s annoyance after AC Milan defeated his Napoli side for the second time in 10 days seemed misdirected.

A Champions League 1-0 loss at San Siro meant the Partenopei had conceded five goals without reply against Stefano Pioli’s men in April, but they still have 90 minutes — perhaps 120 — to make it right.

That did not prevent the Tuscan from criticising Istvan Kovacs’s officiating and reprimanding the Napoli ultras, who staged a silent protest in the 4-0 defeat by Milan at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on April 2.

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The atmosphere inside San Siro last Wednesday was poles apart from what the home support provided earlier this month, prompting Spalletti to blurt: “If I see the same things in the second leg, I’ll pick up my things and go.”

It may have been different had Khvicha Kvaratskhelia opened the scoring early on or had the away side netted one of their five shots at goal in the opening 10 minutes of the match.

Of course, Spalletti is within his rights to rue his team’s finishing on the day — they had chances to go ahead and fashioned two opportunities late on to equalise despite being down to 10 men — criticise Kovacs’s officiating to hand two yellows to Andre Zambo Anguissa and book Min-jae Kim, who is also suspended for Tuesday’s game, and reprimand the fans’ previous absence of support, but the Azzurri must take extra care to limit Milan’s threat in transition.

A look at the five goals the Rossoneri have scored in 180 minutes against Napoli underscores the seven-time European champions’ menace on the counterattack, with three of those goals originating from such situations.

We look at these goals in detail.

Napoli 0-1 Milan (Rafael Leao)

After Giovanni Simeone missed an opportunity to put the Partenopei ahead, the away side stunned the Maradona moments later through last year’s Serie A Most Valuable Player Rafael Leao.

As the play developed, Mario Rui and Stanislav Lobotka appeared to have Brahim Diaz cornered with nowhere to go…

Napoli AC Milan
Brahim Diaz's path towards Milan's goal had seemingly been blocked by Stanislav Lobotka

…but the attacking midfielder loses both players with his quick feet, and Leao (circled) already recognises the space behind Napoli's defence.

Napoli AC Milan
Rafael Leao immediately makes the run behind Napoli's defence after Diaz beats Lobotka and Mario Rui

The pass is played, and the Portugal international finishes with aplomb to put the visitors in front.

Napoli AC Milan
Diaz releases Leao, who scores to make it 1-0

Napoli 0-3 Milan (Leao)

The Rossoneri’s third in that 4-0 triumph came about after another fast break.

After Sandro Tonali dispossesses Piotr Zielinski in midfield…

Napoli AC Milan
Sandro Tonali wins the ball from Piotr Zielinski and immediately releases Rafael Leao

…the Italian releases the wide attacker, isolated with centre-back Amir Rrahmani, with Giovanni Di Lorenzo caught upfield…

Napoli AC Milan
Leao is one-on-one with the retreating Amir Rrahmani

…and Leao fires past Alex Meret before the Napoli captain double-teams him, with Rrahmani still unsettled.

Napoli AC Milan
With Giovanni Di Lorenzo unable to help Rrahmani, Leao beats the centre-back and fires past Alex Meret

Milan 1-0 Napoli (Ismael Bennacer)

The goal that won last week’s game at San Siro was another moment in which Pioli’s team punished the side from Naples through a quick break.

After Diaz escapes from Lobotka and Mario Rui, Milan have a five-v-three advantage as the Napoli players desperately scramble back towards their goal…

Milan Napoli
Diaz wriggles past the challenge of Lobotka and Rui
Milan Napoli Champions League
Milan have two spare men as they outnumber Napoli on the counter-attack

…the Spaniard plays the pass to Leao, with Bennacer (circled) darting into the penalty area undetected...

Milan Napoli Champions League

…and the Portuguese sends the ball to Bennacer, whose low shot beats Meret.

Milan Napoli Champions League
Bennacer scores for Milan five minutes before half time

Interestingly, Milan had threatened a few minutes earlier with Leao, who singlehandedly created the opening.

When the Milan wide attacker received possession from Tonali...

Milan Napoli Champions League
Rrahmani believes he has Leao contained

...he proceeded with an aggressive ball carry, driving between Zambo Anguissa and Rrahmani…

Milan Napoli Champions League
Leao surges past Rrahmani and Zambo Anguissa

…with Kim already looking terrified.

However, the Rossoneri star’s shot misses the target.

Milan Napoli Champions League
Leao could not convert after his amazing solo run

Napoli probably deserved more on the balance of the chances created at San Siro when it was 11-v-11 and after they had Anguissa sent off. Di Lorenzo forced the game’s best save from Mike Maignan late on, while Mathias Olivera’s header missed the target almost a minute later.

That success for Milan ended a run of six consecutive away wins in this fixture in all competitions, with Pioli’s team heading to the Maradona seeking a semi-final berth for the first time since 2007, when they ended up claiming their seventh European crown.

The Rossoneri boss believes the tie is in the balance despite their first-leg victory, but their menace in transition, especially with Napoli chasing the game, gives Milan more chances to hurt the Partenopei with quick breaks on Tuesday.