After a frictional match that gave Milan the advantage for the rematch at the Diego Armando Maradona stadium, Napoli will try to lift the series on Tuesday as they dream of advancing to the UEFA Champions League semifinals for the first time in their history.
Ismaël Bennacer managed to break the deadlock at the San Siro, and that was enough for Stefano Pioli’s team to get a minimum difference for the second leg. With their goal in mind, they will try to prevent the home side from equalizing in order to avoid extra time and penalties.
However, among some sensitive absentees such as André Zambo Anguissa due to expulsion or Kim Min-jae due to yellow card accumulation, Luciano Spalletti recovered a fundamental piece for the attack and the great present of the team both in Serie A and in the European competition.
Victor Osimhen is back from injury and will start in the starting lineup. He will replace Elif Elmas from the first leg, while Matteo Politano will take Hirving Lozano’s place. Meanwhile, Juan Jesus and Tanguy Ndombelé will start in place of the suspended players.
On the other hand, the Milan team has no obligations and will try to play with the desperation and need of its rival. A draw in the 90 minutes is enough for them to win the ticket and get back into the top four teams in Europe.
In fact, Pioli has no doubts about the search they will make in Napoli and will repeat the same team that won the first leg with Olivier Giroud in attack, while Brahim Diaz, Bennacer and Rafael Leao will accompany him in the back to seal the story.
A Napoli victory by a goal difference will take the key to extra time or a penalty shootout if the aggregate score remains equal. A greater difference will qualify. A draw or a win for Milan will secure their place in the Champions League semifinals.
Probable line-ups:
Napoli: Meret; Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Jesus, Mario Rui; Ndombele, Lobotka, Zielinski; Politano, Osimhen and Kvaratskhelia.
Milan: Maignan; Calabria, Kjaer, Tomori, Hernandez; Krunic, Tonali; Diaz, Bennacer, Leao; Giroud.