Napoli vs AC Milan Review
Napoli secured only their second victory in eight Serie A matches, thanks to first-half goals from Matteo Politano and Romelu Lukaku, leading to a close 2-1 win over AC Milan. With Inter having increased their lead at the top of the Serie A table to six points earlier in the day, Napoli recognized the significance of securing a win against the visiting Rossoneri. Antonio Conte’s team started strong, and their quick pace paid off just 65 seconds into the match when Giovanni Di Lorenzo’s long pass was skillfully controlled by Politano, who finished decisively into the bottom corner past Mike Maignan.
Napoli aimed to capitalize on their lead, and after Frank Anguissa’s daring flick went just wide, they increased their advantage in the 19th minute. Billy Gilmour delivered a perfectly timed pass to Lukaku, who was unmarked in the box. The Belgian star took a moment to steady himself before placing the ball into the far corner. Milan, taken aback by Napoli’s strong start, sought to establish themselves in the match as the first half went on. However, despite having possession in the attacking third, they struggled to create clear chances, allowing Napoli to maintain their two-goal lead at halftime.
The hosts continued to keep Sérgio Conceição’s team at bay in the early part of the second half, with Santiago Giménez wasting a chance by shooting over from the edge of the box. As the match approached the final 25 minutes, the Rossoneri missed a golden opportunity to reduce the deficit when Giménez’s weak penalty was saved by Alex Meret after Philip Billing fouled Théo Hernandez in the area.
That missed opportunity seemed to have cost Milan, but the away team rightfully scored again with just six minutes left, as Hernandez’s low cross was finished off by substitute Luka Jović. Having scored in the last 20 minutes for the seventh time in their last eight league matches, Conceição’s team sought a thrilling equalizer, but it ultimately proved too difficult as Napoli withstood the pressure to achieve their first home victory against them in seven encounters.
