AC Milan v Napoli
Saturday 26th January 1930hrs
Football – Italy – Serie A
Pick: Both teams to score
Bookmaker: Ladbrokes
Odds: 3/4 (odds taken 18.00 GMT, Friday 25th January)
Juventus looked to have wrapped up another Serie A title already but there is an intriguing race to finish in the top four in behind them and two of those sides face each other on Saturday. Continue reading for a match preview of Milan versus Napoli with a selected best betting tip.
AC Milan Preview
Milan have had plenty of trials and tribulations already this season but whilst there has been a lot of finger pointing, and criticism has been levelled at the club’s owners and management, they’ve slipped quietly into the top four. Following their participation in the Italian Super Cup against Juventus, Milan played on Monday night and it was a result and performance worth waiting for with a 2-0 away win over Genoa. Two late strikes earned them a crucial three points which took them above Roma and Lazio in the table. It’s indicative of how just how tight and competitive the race for Champions League qualification is going to be in Italy that one win has such a significant, material difference. There has also been activity off the field with Gonzalo Higuain’s season-long loan being terminated and Krzysztof Piajtek signed as a replacement for around 35 million euros. It’s a staggering amount for a player who has only played in the league for six months but it was a productive period where he netted 13 times. Milan hope he will be able to become the prolific frontman they have wanted for years.
Key-Facts – AC Milan v Napoli
- Napoli won the first meeting between these clubs 3-2 having been down 2-0
- Carlo Ancelotti returns to face Milan in a domestic match for the first time since leaving the San Siro in 2009
- There have been 51 goals in the last 21 meetings between these two famous clubs
Napoli Preview
This will be an emotional return for Carlo Ancelotti who will be in charge of a visiting Italian team at the San Siro to face Milan for the first time since departing the club in 2009. He won numerous honours as a player and coach, including the European Cup/Champions League as both. All sentiment will be forgotten about for the duration of this game, though, as he attempts to lead his Napoli team to what would be another big victory. The Naples club are nine points adrift of Juve but have a seven point margin of their own between themselves and Inter, who sit third. Napoli returned from their winter shutdown last week with hard-fought 2-1 win at home to Lazio and will travel to Milan with hope of at least keeping pace with Juventus, who face a tough fixture of their own in the country’s capital. Despite trailing the champions, it’s been an encouraging first season under Ancelotti, particularly the return to form of Arkadiusz Milik who looks back to his best this term.
AC Milan v Napoli Betting Advice
The history of these clubs means that anytime they come face to face there is an allure around the fixture. That’s increased even more this season due to the men in charge of Milan and Napoli, and the affectionate relationship they had when Rino Gattuso played under Ancelotti for the all-conquering Milan team of the early 2000s. This will be the second time they have come head to head in their respective roles and it was the master who came out on top over his apprentice when Napoli edged a five-goal thriller 3-2 at the San Paolo in August. Milan took a two goal lead on that occasion but left empty handed and will be out for revenge on Saturday evening.
Milan will be hoping that home advantage could well be telling in this game as all three of Napoli’s defeats in the league this season have come on their travels – but they still possess the second best away record in Serie A, behind Juventus. Milan are relatively strong at home, though, with six wins and two draws from 10 matches, although they have lost two of their last five. Napoli lost at this stadium as recently as the 26th December, against Inter and the hosts will be keen to build on the win over Genoa on Monday. It’s a very evenly matched game but what we always tend to get when these teams meet is goals. There have been 51 in their last 21 meetings, an average of 2.7 a game so overs is tempting, but five of the last six meetings have seen both teams scoring and that’s the way to go in this match.
