Napoli is threatening, and Milan is aiming to return to the semi-finals 16 years later

Once again the hammer of Milan was stronger than the brush of Naples. The high-spirited Parthenopean team dominated the ball, just like at San Siro, but it Rossoneri they protected themselves perfectly, making the opposition desperate who they knocked out again as soon as they could, this time on the strength of Leo and Giroud’s own 9 work.

As expected, Napoli took control of the game early on, boosted by the return of Osimhen, the spearhead of the attack. The old San Paolo, renamed Diego Armando Maradona in honor of the biggest local myth, roared violently, confident of a comeback.

Mário Rui, Kvaratskhelia and Politano threatened the gates of Milan, a team marked by trade. Pioli’s men retreated, ready to defend their armored advantage in their domains. A miserly approach, but it has already proven effective in distant Lombardy if trade in the right doses is combined with counterattacking. It was difficult for the Rossoneri to wake up, but they did it with devastating force, forcing a penalty kick from Lea, who Giroud lost before Meret’s stretch. The scare left Napoli touched, saved again by their goalkeeper against the French striker’s shot. The tension was palpable at San Paolo, with a double substitution due to injuries to Mário Rui and Politano, when Leo’s indomitable pace once again sowed panic on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius. The Portuguese went around the court and had enough sense to serve in the end redemption goal for Giroud.

Napoli needed an immediate reaction after the break and it is true that Kvaratskhelia, perfectly drained by Calabria, beat his pair for the first time, but shot over the bar. Milan put on the shell again before the warning and entrusted the penalty of the tie to the immense power of Leo. Napoli didn’t lose faith, it’s fair to admit, but their options were definitely buried by Kvaratskhelia’s mistake from eleven meters. Osimhen’s goal came too late. And it is true that in this game the next champion of Italy did not succeed. In Europe, Milan continues to rule, true to its legendary history on the Old Continent.