Henry Roldán
Get ready for an epic showdown as the two top teams from the Serie A over the last two seasons, Milan vs Napoli, bring its rivalry to the Champions League. This Wednesday, they’ll face off in the quarterfinals for the first leg of this European championship.
The Rossoneri, last year’s champions in the Calcio, managed to knock out Tottenham in the round of 16 by a slim margin of 1-0. Meanwhile, Gli Azzurri, who is currently cruising in the Italian league, had an easy time dispatching Eintracht Frankfurt with a crushing 5-0 victory.
Interestingly, the two clubs have already met on two occasions in Serie A, with one victory for each side. Without further ado, at JefeBet, we bring you the best preview of the stellar match between Milan vs Napoli.
Predictions, Odds, and Betting Preview for the AC Milan vs Napoli Champions League Quarter-Final First Leg Game on April 12, 2023
- Where: San Siro Stadium – Milan, Italy
- When: Wednesday, April 12, 2023, 3:00 PM ET
- Moneyline: Milan (+185) / Draw (+225) / Napoli (+165)
- Asian Handicap: Milan (-0.25, +139) / Napoli (+0.25, -180)
- Over/Under (3.5): Over (+115) / Under (-140)
- Both teams score: Yes (-125) / No (+100)
All odds are provided by Draftkings.
Betting on A.C. Milan
The Rossoneri may be out of the Serie A title race, but it has a chance to save its season from going down in flames.
Of course, it won’t be an easy task, but Stefano Pioli’s side showed an impressive defensive display in its victory over Tottenham, one of the Premier League’s most potent attacking forces. Plus, it has won eight of its last nine continental knockout ties against Italian opposition.
Milan’s rock-solid defense is no fluke. Actually, it has kept clean sheets in its last two league matches, including a 4-0 rout of Napoli away from home. In five of its last eight league matches, its opponents failed to hit the back of the net.
The Rossoneri also has the advantage of playing the first leg at home, where it’s lost only twice in Serie A this season. In the current edition of the Champions League, the only team that managed to defeat it was Chelsea after four games.
To add to Pioli’s good news, his squad is injury-free, except for Pierre Kalulu, who is a minor doubt due to a calf injury. It will have all its key players, including Portuguese forward Rafael Leao, who scored twice in its last match.
Possible Lineup (4-2-3-1): Mike Maignan; Davide Calabria, Fikayo Tomori, Simon Kjaer, Theo Hernandez; Ismael Bennacer, Sandro Tonali; Brahim Diaz, Rade Krunic, Rafael Leao; Olivier Giroud.
Betting on S.S.C. Napoli
Napoli’s season has been nothing short of spectacular, and many consider it serious contenders to pull off a surprise in this year’s edition of the Champions League, following its first-ever appearance in the quarterfinals.
Luciano Spalletti’s team is currently leading Serie A with 74 points, a whopping 16 points ahead of its nearest rival. Indeed, it qualified for the knockout stage as group leaders, having secured 15 points and edged out Liverpool on goal difference.
Its dominance was on full display during the round of 16, where it showcased its solid defense and established itself as the tournament’s top-scoring team with 25 goals after crushing Eintracht Frankfurt 5-0.
However, the quarterfinals won’t be a walk in the park like its clash against the Germans. It will face a Milan team that knows it well and defeated it convincingly just over a week ago.
But when it comes to playing away, Napoli seems to shrug off the pressure from hostile crowds. Actually, throughout the 37 matches it’s played in Serie A and the Champions League this season, Spalletti’s men have only lost two games on the road, against Inter and Liverpool.
During the group stage Napoli thrashed Rangers 0-3 and Ajax 1-6, In the local championship, no team has scored more goals away from home than Napoli’s 33, and it has conceded only eight goals, the second-lowest in the league.
It must maintain this level of performance, especially in the offensive part, as its star player in attack, Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen, is doubtful for this match due to a thigh injury.
Possible Lineup (4-3-3): Alex Meret; Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Amir Rrahmani, Mathías Olivera, Min-jae Kim; Piotr Zieliński, Stanislav Lobotka, Frank Anguissa; Matteo Politano, Hirving Lozano, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
JefeBet Prediction
While it’s true that both of these teams’ Serie A games this season ended with at least three goals on the scoreboard, let’s not forget that the Champions League is a whole different game, especially in the quarterfinals.
Take Milan’s performance against Tottenham in the Round of 16, for example. Despite its offensive inconsistency, the Rossoneri’s defensive efforts were top-notch and has continued to be in recent matches.
As for Napoli, it might still have that thumping it took from Milan fresh in its minds. Plus, its star striker may not be in top form due to injury. That means its defense will have to step up to the plate if it wants to come away with the best result possible.
It is also worth noting that three of the last five meetings between the two clubs have ended 1-0.
Prediction: Under (MIL 1 – NAP 1)
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