AC Milan v Napoli preview: All-Italian quarter-final blockbuster beckons
AC Milan are at this stage of the UCL for the first time in 11 years and will be eager to grab an all-important first-leg lead, but with just one win in nine competitive home games (D3, L5) against Serie A’s (SA) runaway leaders Napoli, they look set for a stern test.
Despite that, Milan's confidence will have been boosted by their remarkable 4-0 win away to Napoli earlier this month.
They followed that up with a disappointing goalless home draw with Empoli on Saturday, but another clean sheet was a big positive and shutouts have very much been a theme of Milan’s UCL journey as they chase a fifth-straight clean sheet in the competition for the first time since the 2004/05 edition.
Napoli bounced back from their heavy loss to the hosts by defeating Lecce 2-1 at the weekend, which was also coincidentally the scoreline by which they won here against Milan earlier in the campaign.
That success on Saturday maintained their 18-point lead atop of SA, so with the league title all but in the bag, the Blues can focus entirely on this tie which will be their first-ever UCL quarter-final.
The away form of Luciano Spalletti’s side has been mightily impressive of late, something highlighted by the fact they’ve won eight straight games on the road, scoring at least twice in each.
Their double here earlier in the season was notably the first time they’d scored 2+ times in seven away H2Hs against the Rossoneri, but as the UCL’s top scorers in this edition with 25 goals scored, a European tie could bring about another glut of goals on Milan turf.
Players to watch: Just one more goal would see Olivier Giroud become the first AC Milan player since Zlatan Ibrahimović to score 5+ goals in a single UCL campaign.
Napoli’s Giovanni Di Lorenzo scored at the weekend and boasts two strikes from his last three away UCL appearances.
Hot stat: Milan have failed to score in ten of their last 16 UCL knockout stage matches (W3, D4, L9).
