AC Milan and Napoli will aim to continue their recent winning runs when they face off in a midweek Serie A clash at San Siro on Tuesday.
The 2024/25 Serie A season continues this midweek with Matchday 10, with the latest round of fixtures kick-starting a few hours after the previous ended. The most eye-catching game will greet us on Tuesday, with AC Milan hosting the table-topping Napoli in a blockbuster clash at San Siro.
AC Milan would have hoped to compete for the Serie A title after a few years when Paulo Fonseca replaced Stefano Pioli at the helm at San Siro. However, the 51-year-old has struggled to stamp his authority, with the Rossoneri winning only four times in eight outings in Serie A this season. In addition, they have blown hot and cold in the UEFA Champions League. However, the hosts are on a two-game winning run ahead of the midweek tie.
On the other hand, there is very little stopping Napoli thus far in the 2024/25 season. The Partenopei did not enjoy an ideal start to the new campaign, with the high-flying giants losing their Serie A opener. However, Antonio Conte has wielded the magic wand, with his charges embarking on an unbeaten run that has taken them to the summit of Serie A football, with the nearest challenger, Inter Milan, already four points behind them.
The corresponding fixture last season saw AC Milan beat Napoli 1-0, with Theo Hernandez scoring the game’s only goal. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
AC Milan
Paulo Fonseca has new roster issues hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. Against Napoli on Tuesday, the AC Milan manager will be bereft of the services of six first-team players.
Theo Hernandez and Tijjani Reijnders are the latest absentees, with the duo serving a one-match suspension after picking up their fifth booking of the 2024/25 Serie A season. Hernandez and Reijnders accompany Matteo Gabbia (muscular), Ismael Bennacer (ankle), Alessandro Florenzi (ACL), and Tammy Abraham (shoulder) on the sidelines.
Mikel Maignan is an automatic pick between the sticks, with AC Milan lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him against Napoli on Tuesday. The backline should feature Emerson Royal, Fikayo Tomori, Strahinja Pavlovic, and Filippo Terracciano.
As for the midfield unit, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Youssouf Fofana should pair up in the double pivot in the middle of the park. Christian Pulisic will reprise the no. 10 role, with Samuel Chukwueze and Rafael Leao being the two wide attackers. Finally, there is no looking past Alvaro Morata as the central striker for the home side.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Maignan; Emerson, Tomori, Pablovic, Terracciano; Fofana, Loftus-Cheek; Chukwueze, Pulisic, Leao; Morata
Napoli
Unlike his counterpart in the AC Milan dugout, Antonio Conte does not have many pressing injury concerns to worry about ahead of the trip to San Siro. The Napoli manager will be without only one first-team player on Tuesday, with Leonardo Spinazzola recovering from a muscle injury.
Alex Meret will take his spot between the sticks, with Napoli lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him against AC Milan on Tuesday. The backline should feature Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Amir Rrahmani, Alessandro Buongiorno, and Mathias Olivera.
As for the midfield unit, Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa and Stanislav Lobotka will pair up in the double pivot, looking to keep things tight in the middle of the park. Scott McTominay will reprise the no. 10 role, with Matteo Politano and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia being the two wide attackers. Finally, Romelu Lukaku will lead the line for the Partenopei against AC Milan.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Meret; Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Buongiorno, Olivera; Anguissa, Lobotka; Politano, McTominay, Kvaratskhelia; Lukaku
Key Stats
- Napoli have an impressive recent record against AC Milan, winning 13 of the last 38 meetings between the two teams (D14 L11).
- However, after a run of ten victories over AC Milan in Serie A, Napoli have won only three of their last ten matches against the Rossoneri in the competition.
- AC Milan have played out draws in 26 out of their 75 matches at home against Napoli in the Serie A and have secured a higher number of home draws only against Juventus in the competition.
- AC Milan have scored and conceded at least two goals in their last three Serie A matches.
Player to Watch
Rafael Leao
While Christian Pulisic has been hot off the blocks in the 2024/25 season and has established himself as a pivotal figure for AC Milan, Rafael Leao has been off the boil thus far this term. The Portuguese international has been a talismanic attacker for AC Milan for most of his spell at San Siro.
However, Leao has not been at his best for some time, especially in the first few weeks of the 2024/25 season. With the title race slipping from AC Milan’s grasps, Paulo Fonseca needs the 25-year-old to step up, especially against the Serie A table-topping Napoli.
Prediction
AC Milan 1-1 Napoli
AC Milan might be languishing in the eighth spot in the Serie A standings after a slow start to the 2024/25 season. However, Paulo Fonseca’s men have a solid home record thus far this term, dropping points in only one of their four outings at San Siro. In addition, they seldom concede goals, letting in only twice in the four games.
As for Napoli, Antonio Conte’s men are flying high in Serie A this term, but they have not been solid travellers. The visitors have won only half of their four games on the road this season while scoring only five goals.
So, a closely contested affair should be on the cards, with chances coming at a premium for both teams. Ultimately, there might not be much to separate AC Milan and Napoli, with The Hard Tackle predicting a 1-1 draw between the two sides.