And here is the match report:
Thanks for reading, and good night!
I am sure the match report will be here soon.
In the meantime, here is the report from the Bernabeu …
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Elsewhere … Real Madrid beat Chelsea 2-0.
The referee has just booked Milan captain Calabria. You would think he would be quite happy at this point.
Full time! Milan 1-0 Napoli
It was a very even game but Milan just edged it thanks to Ismaël Bennacer’s first-half goal. I think it will be a fascinating game in Naples next week.
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90+4 mins: Saelemaekers goes down in the box and wants a penalty. As has become standard in this match, Milan have gone down laughably easy. He seems surprised to not get a penalty, instead he gets booked, as does Rrahmani for pointing out Milan have theatrical.
90+2 mins: Milan are just trying to see out the added time here by keeping the ball. They decide to attack but Leao whacks a shot into orbit from 30 yards.
90 mins: Five minutes added on.
89 mins: Milan’s goal is currently their only shot on target in the entire match … well it was until Leao just hit one straight at Meret.
87 mins: Elmas lifts a very straight free-kick into the box but it is easily headed away. The ball comes back via Politano, who lays it in to the path of Di Lorenzo but his jabbed shot is well saved by Maignan.
Seconds later, substitute Oliveira gets across Kjaer but just heads a cross over the bar.
85 mins: Giroud receives a pass from Leao, he turns on the ball in the box but his shot is immediately blocked.
I will say Napoli at this point but I am not an expert.
@Will_Unwin I can hear San Siro sing a version of the Argentina World Cup song … whose fans are singing it, Napoli’s? I assume they altered the lyrics? Is it in relation/dedication to Maradona in light of their likely winning their first scudetto since his time in Naples?
— Plata & Salud 🌞 (@Plata_Salud_) April 12, 2023
83 mins: Admir Pajic says: “Regarding your question about the Milan derby at semifinals, we have already had one in Champions League semifinal. In 2002-03 Milan won on the away goals (0-0, 1-1).
“Also, in 2004-05, Milan beat Inter in quarter final. Milan won the first leg 2-0 and then took the lead through Shevchenko only to get game interrupted.”
81 mins: Hernandez, one of the great actors of our time, goes down under a challenge from Elmas to earn a free-kick just outside the box.
Diaz off, Rebic on for Milan.
Kvaratskhelia and Rui off for Napoli. Damage limitation?
79 mins: Kim piles through the back of Saelemaekers and a free-kick is given. The defender is absolutely fuming and gets a booking for dissent. He is out of the second leg.
77 mins: I think the referee has done the match officials there.
Milan need to make the most of this advantage. Saelemaekers does his best by cruising through the Napoli defence but he is stopped before he can shoot.
75 mins: RED CARD! Anguissa gets a second booking and is off the pitch. The midfielder stretches for the ball and seems to get a touch but Hernandez goes down in agony, claiming to be kicked in the stomach. The referee buys it and pulls out a yellow, then a red.
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73 mins: Rui lifts a free-kick into the box and straight out for a goal-kick. That is poor from Napoli.
It turns out Di Lorenzo was booked earlier. Strict stuff from the ref.
Latest: Real Madrid 2-0 Chelsea
71 mins: Hernandez drives Milan forward but is brought down by Anguissa, who is booked and then Di Lorenzo gets a good talking to.
A cross is lifted into the Napoil box and Giroud decides to go for an overhead kick but he barely makes contact.
69 mins: Elmas controls a pass into the path of Anguissa but he hits it straight against his team and it goes out for a goal-kick.
Lozano is off with proper striker Raspadori coming on.
67 mins: Saelemaekers is on for Bennacer.
65 mins: Milan controlling possession, which has been rare in this match. Everything looking quite calm at San Siro.
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63 mins: Kvaratskhelia sends Kjaer down the Bakerloo, while he is on the Victoria but Calabria bails out his teammate with a fine tackle.
61 mins: Bennacer goes into the book for catching Anguissa on the top of the foot. Not a great challenge from the former Arsenal man.
59 mins: Lozano goes down inside the box after a shoulder from Hernandez. The Napoli man moans a lot but there is nothing in it.
57 mins: Spalletti is looking a touch irked on the sidelines.
55 mins: Diaz’s feet are too quick for Rui, who can only trip him to stop the Spaniard. Milan are very reliant on Diaz and Leao to create something for them.
53 mins: Kvaratskhelia is having great involvement and in Osimhen’s absence, the Georgian needs to be more influential.
Di Lorenzo controls a pass inside the box and fires a goal but a red and black shirt is in the way. Napoli are on top.
51 mins: Kvaratskhelia cuts in from the left and lifts a cross into the box which Elmas flicks towards goal, forcing Maignan to back track and palm over the bar.
49 mins: A very quiet start to the half.
47 mins: Calabria gives Kvaratskhelia an ankle tap to make sure he knows the full-back will be there all the time.
The referee needs to have his tech tuned up so we have a break.
Second half
Here we go again!
Kári Tulinius says: “In World Cups, it’s fairly common to see a good team from a country with no history of excelling at World Cups, come up against a mediocre team with stars on their jersey, and the latter inexplicably winning, as if history is lifting them up. To me it’s always seemed a fairly nonsensical way of looking at football, but on the other hand, it’s hard to argue against the inspirational power of narratives. I wonder if something like that is helping Milan tonight.”
It is one to ponder.
Half time reading:
Joe Pearson says: “If I shave my head and wear black, does that qualify me to be a Serie A manager? My beard is already grey. Just asking.”
Pioli is more stylish than Spalletti, who wears a woolly hat to make sure I can tell them apart.
Half time! Milan 1-0 Napoli
A funny old half of football. Napoli look like they were going to rip Milan apart but the hosts kept their cool and looked dangerous on the break, culminating with the Bennacar opener. Since taking the lead, Milan have looked the better team.
45+3 mins: It is kicking off in the box and the referee is having a word with all parties. It is tense stuff.
Another corner does eventually come into the box and Kjaer attacks it with gusto, smashing a header off the bar.
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45+2 mins: Giroud holds up the ball and lays it off to Tonali, whose sweeping shot is deflected wide. The corner comes in and Meret flaps at it, pushing it out for another set-piece on the other side. Napoli have been rattled by the opener.
45 mins: Four minutes added on.
44 mins: Hernandez gets caught on the knee by Lozano and stays down. In the end, Leao kicks the ball out. It might have been better to carry on with the attack.
The referee books Pioli for something or other. I’ll assume for moaning (general).
42 mins: Well … that was against the run of play. Napoli’s midfield fell apart in a split second there.
Lozano and Hernandez square up to one another. It’s all fun and games.
The Milan fans are loving life.
GOAL! Diaz spins in the centre circle to see off two Napoli midfielders, he gets to the edge of the box and sends the pass out to Leao, who crosses to Bennacer to fires through Meret.
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GOAL! Milan 1-0 Napoli (Bennacer, 40)
Bennacer finishes it off but Diaz deserves all the credit.
38 mins: The first booking of the day goes to Zielinski who takes down Krunic with a kick to the knee. All a bit pointless form the Napoli man.
36 mins: Giroud is down on the deck and it getting some treatment for what looks like an ankle injury. He is shaking his head a bit while someone hands his shoe back. Are Milan just wasting time?
34 mins: Krunic piles into the back of Zielinski to stop a Napoli counter. He is lucky to get away without a booking there.
Calabria takes a throw on the right and clearly lifts his foot in the process. That is a foul throw but the officials do not care. This is basics, lads.
32 mins: Meret kicks the ball straight to Leao, he takes it to the left flank and lifts a cross to the back post but it is a touch too heavy for Diaz to get to.
30 mins: “I’m amazed Mourinho never figured out you could break the corner flag as a time-wasting gambit,” says Pádraig McAuliffe.
Straight down the touchline to give one a kick.
28 mins: Everyone gets a rest wile they source a new corner flag. It gives time for Maldini and Shevchenko to have a chat in the stands.
The action gets back under way with some slow passing around the back by Milan. I suspect they are just thinking of ways to get the back to Leao.
26 mins: RUDDY HELL! Leao bursts from this own half, he beats two Napoli defenders to make his way into the box but drags his shot wide from inside the area. To show his frustration, he kicks the corner flag and it breaks into shards or plastic.
Ps Real Madrid are beating Chelsea. This should not shock you.
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24 mins: Zielinski, buoyed by his early shot, takes another from about 30 yards but it flies high and wide. Napoli need to maintain patience here.
22 mins: I’ve got a suspicion this will not be 4-0 to Milan.
20 mins: Milan just can’t pass their way through Napoli who are too well-organised to be rattled by a bit of defensive work.
18 mins: Rui nips to get the ball on the halfway line and subsequently shoots(?) from 50-odd yards and the ball goes out somewhere near the corner flag. Maybe it is supposed to be a pass but I haven’t got a clue.
16 mins: Milan can’t get out form the back. The Napoli press is keeping the hosts in their own defensive third while they pass it around, forcing them to launch it forward and lose possession.
14 mins: Napoli have looked good in the opening stages. They could have had a couple of goals already. They flash another cross into the box but it goes straight out.
Aditi Modi knows how to live. The Italians would approve: “Hey Will, hoping for a great game this evening! Just dropping by to say I’m enjoying a frozen pizza too! In honour of the game, of course.
12 mins: WHAT A HIT! Zielinski collects the ball around 25 yards from goal, gets it out of his feet and whacks a vicious shot that Maignan does well to tip over the bar.
10 mins: After a slow start, Milan are getting into this match. Bennacer seems to be wearing trousers under his shorts and socks. It must be a touch nippy in Milan tonight.
Kvaratskhelia takes a wonderful touch to kill the ball, cuts inside and plays a one-two with Elmas before striking for goal but a defender deflects it wide.
8 mins: Milan get a free-kick on the right. It is swung into the box and Meret comes to punch to clear.
6 mins: Milan have their first attack of the match as Diaz picks out Calabria on the right but his low cross is cleared.
4 mins: Anguissa is involved again. The former Fulham man takes aim from the edge of the box, he strikes it well but Maignan is there to tip it over.
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2 mins: NAPOLI SHOULD BE AHEAD! Anguissa sends a low cross into the six-yard box, it defeats the goalkeeper and defender but also the Napoli forward. Krunic jabs it straight to Kvaratskhelia whose low drive is blocked on the line.
Kick off
Peep! Peep! Peep! Here we go!
The teams are out on the pitch and enjoying some pretty heavy rain. Should add to the spectacle.
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I once went to the San Siro as a child. We bought tickets off a tout and go to witness Milan 0-0 Atalanta. The upside was that Massimo Taibi was in net for the visitors.
Paolo Maldini on BT Sport: “It is a great feeling and we can use it. It has been a long time [since reaching a Champions League quarter final]. The crowd will be incredible as always. We must play to our level but Napoli are doing well in the league.”
In honour of this match, I am eating pizza. I am sure the residents of Milan and Naples would appreciate a Sainsbury’s Taste The Difference frozen pizza.
Some Jonathan Wilson on Napoli and the Champions League (from Feb).
Milan’s Stefano Pioli think Napoli will be a very different team to the one they thrashed 4-0 recently.
“They have great quality but we start from 0-0 and I expect two balanced matches. We can expect something different from them, which can also be a new attitude in the defensive phase, and we have to be good at recognising that.
“The league performances have given us some indication. We know we have to play a great game to be up to the task against such a strong team. (But) regardless of (league) performances, all that matters now is the Milan that takes the field tomorrow.
“We must play a focused game in every aspect. The opponents have great quality and they know how to take advantage of every mistake and be dangerous. We cannot afford to drop our concentration levels because the stakes are very high.”
Stefano Pioli is confident in his own look.
Some pre-match reading …
Starting lineups
Milan (4-3-3): Maignan; Calabria, Kjaer, Tomori, Theo Hernandez; Krunic, Tonali; Brahim Diaz, Bennacer, Leao; Giroud
Subs: Mirante, Nallo, Rebic, Kalulu, Florenzi, Origi, Thiaw, Junior Messias, Pobega, Gabbia, Saelemaekers, De Ketelaere
Napoli (4-3-3): Meret; Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Kim, Rui; Anguissa, Lobotka, Zielinski; Lozano, Elmas, Kvaratskhelia
Subs: Gollini, Idasiak, Bereszynski, Jesus, Olivera, Ostigard, Gaetano, Ndombele, Politano, Raspadori
Buonasera
It is fourth against first in Serie A, although that does not count for much in Europe. After Internazionale’s win at Benfica last night, Napoli and Milan will be desperate to be the second team in the Champions League semi-finals. Could you imagine a Milan derby?
Napoli are 22 points better off than tonight’s opponents in the domestic game but 10 days ago, Milan went to Naples and thrashed the soon-to-be champions 4-0. It shows that the gap is not as big as some might think. That will have given Milan plenty of confidence but Napoli will be desperate for revenge.
One issue for Napoli is the absence of Victor Osimhen. The Nigeria striker has 25 goal in all competitions this season, nine more than any of his teammates. That will put Khvicha Kvaratskhelia further into the spotlight. The Georgian has been one of the standout players in Europe this season and is another key reason why Napoli are on the verge of domestic history.
Milan saw off a subdued Tottenham in the last round thanks to a single goal in 180 minutes of the round of 16 tie. The last time the reached the last four was in 2006-07 when they went on to win the competition. Since then reached this stage only once, a sign of their decline and the improvements elsewhere in Europe. Under Stefano Pioli they have become a dangerous side but have looked vulnerable at the back.
It should make a fun and fiery encounter.
Kick-off: 8pm BST.
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