Less than a fortnight after thrashing current league leaders Napoli 4-0, AC Milan will again face the same opponent as the Rossoneri welcome the Partenopei for part one of their Champions League quarter-finals tie. After years in the international wilderness, Milan, who have won seven Champions League titles so far, are hoping to make a major statement as they appear at this juncture for the first time since the 2011/12 season, when they were beaten by a Barcelona side then under Pep Guardiola's tenure.
Stefano Pioli's men, who won the Scudetto last term - their first since 2011 - will unfortunately not be able to successfully retain their league crown this time around. The Rossoneri are a whopping 22 points behind the Partenopei, who are en route to winning their first Scudetto in over three decades. As such, Milan have turned their attention towards two main objectives - securing a top four spot and going as far in this season's Champions League as possible.
Milan, who will be facing Napoli in European competition for the first time, have a solid track record when it comes to taking on fellow Serie A sides in continental tournaments. To date, the Diavolo have lost just one of their last nine meetings against Italian teams, but of major concern will be their record against Napoli at home. Despite their impressive win over Luciano Spalletti's troops last time out, Milan have struggled when hosting the Southern Italian side at the Stadio San Siro, with just one win from their last nine matches across all competitions.
Yet while Napoli have won their last three away meetings against Milan, that does not apply when it comes to cup competitions. The Partenopei are winless in their last five away meetings in cup ties, with a record of two draws and three losses to date. Featuring in the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time in club history, Napoli arguably have made a serious claim to be considered as this year's potential dark horses. With 25 goals scored so far, Spalletti's side are the highest-scoring team and have four players who have netted at least four times in the competition this season (Victor Osimhen, Piotr Zielinski, Giovanni Simeone and Giacomo Raspadori).
Their attack will certainly face a likely tough test given that Milan have shut down their opponents in their last four Champions League games - including preventing Tottenham from scoring across both round of 16 legs. Revenge will also be on Napoli's minds after their humiliating 4-0 loss to Milan less than two weeks ago, while they also will hope to continue their historic run in what has shaped up to be an outstanding season for the Partenopei.
Fans and calcio neutrals alike will certainly look forward to Wednesday's historic tie as Milan and Napoli renew acquaintances for the second time in less than a fortnight. Will there be plenty of goals scored in a repeat of their Serie A meeting, or will the two sides end up canceling each other out to set up an even more tense tie in the second leg next week?
Team news: Milan vs Napoli
Milan: The hosts have pretty much a full-strength squad available, with only Pierre Kalulu set to miss this game.
Napoli: The visitors unfortunately will be missing star striker Victor Osimhen as it doesn't look like the Nigerian international will recover from a thigh strain in time for this match. In addition, Giovanni Simeone, who has proved to be a reliable back-up option, is a doubt after picking up a knock during Napoli's win over Lecce this past Friday.
Match facts: Milan vs Napoli
- Milan have lost just one of their last nine European meetings against Italian sides (W4 D4)
- However, Napoli have lost just one of their last nine meetings against the Rossoneri at the Stadio San Siro (W5 D3)
- That includes their last three away games...but none were in cup competitions, where their record is (D2 L3)
- Milan have won just three of their most recent 16 knockout stage matches in the UCL (D4 L9)
- Napoli have scored 25 goals so far in the UCL - the most of any other sides
Broadcast info: Milan vs Napoli
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Match details, result and original broadcast info
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