The Rossoneri clinched a narrow win over Napoli to leapfrog them from the top of the Serie A table.
Milan defeated Napoli 1-0 in their Serie A game on Sunday. The Rossoneri earned a crucial victory while Napoli slipped to third place on the table.
Serie A leaders! 🔴⚫
Milan came into the game on the back of their three consecutive draws while Napoli hoped to reclaim their top spot on the table.
Unsurprisingly, both sides played very conservatively in the first half, with Milan having most of the opportunities. The hosts provided the Rossoneri with enough space to finally break the deadlock in the 49th minute.
Following a half-cleared free-kick, Davide Calabria scuffed his shot into the path of Giroud, who nodded it home from close range.
The timely goal helped Milan in performing their meticulously planned smash and grab scheme. The Rossoneri set back while focusing on winning the physical battles in midfield.
Napoli pushed hard to get the equalizer in the final ten minutes, but Stefano Pioli’s men held on to their defensive discipline.
What’s next for Milan and Napoli?
The victory sends Milan to the top of the Serie A table while Napoli slip to third place behind Inter. However, the Nerazzurri can still reclaim the first spot if they manage to win their game in hand.
Next week, Milan will host Empoli while the Partenopei meet Verona.
Player Ratings
Napoli: Ospina (7); Di Lorenzo (7), Rrahmani (6), Koulibaly (6), Rui (6); Ruiz (5), Lobotka (6); Politano (6), Zielinski (5), Insigne (5); Osimhen (6).
Bench: Lozano (6), Elmas (5), Anguissa (5), Mertens (6), Ounas (7).
Milan: Maignan (7); Calabria (6), Tomori (7), Kalulu (7), Hernandez (8); Bennacer (7), Tonali (6); Messias (7), Kessie (7), Leao (7); Giroud (7).
Bench: Ibrahimovic (6), Florenzi (5), Rebic (6), Krunic (7), Saelemaekers (6).