AC Milan hosted Napoli at San Siro in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinal. The game ended in a 1-0 victory for AC Milan. The only goal of the match was scored by Bennacer, which secured the win for AC Milan. Napoli was reduced to 10 men after Koulibaly received a red card in the 80th minute. It was a closely contested match with both teams having chances to score, but in the end, AC Milan came out on top.
Ismael Bennacer was the hero for AC Milan in the Champions League quarterfinal first leg against Napoli. He scored the only goal of the match, which ultimately secured a 1-0 victory for AC Milan. Bennacer celebrated his goal in front of the home fans at San Siro, as he helped his team take an important first step towards qualifying for the semi-finals.
Sportstar presents the highlights of the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals between AC Milan and SSC Napoli, held at the San Siro stadium in Milan, Italy.
- Two historic Italian football clubs have returned to the top tier of European football after more than a decade.
- Inter Milan's last appearance in the Champions League quarterfinals was in 2011 when they were eliminated as defending champions.
- AC Milan reached the quarterfinal stage in 2012.
- Both teams experienced periods of poor form and instability with frequent changes in ownership and coaches.
- However, they recently won Serie A titles after years of underwhelming performances.
- The victories have helped them regain their status as elite teams in European football.
Inter Milan was the last Italian team to lift the Champions League trophy in 2010, when they achieved an unprecedented treble of the league, Italian Cup, and Champions League under the guidance of José Mourinho. AC Milan won their last of seven titles in 2007.
Apart from the AC Milan-Napoli and Inter-Benfica quarterfinal fixtures, two other matchups are scheduled this week. Real Madrid will take on Chelsea and Bayern Munich will face Manchester City in the other two quarterfinal games.
CHANGING OWNERS
During the period when the Milan clubs were dominating European football, they were both under the ownership of long-term proprietors: Silvio Berlusconi and Massimo Moratti.
Moratti sold a majority share of Inter Milan to an Indonesian consortium led by Erick Thohir in 2013. Retail giant Suning subsequently acquired the club in 2016. Meanwhile, AC Milan also came under Chinese ownership around the same time.
Berlusconi, who had been in control of AC Milan for more than 30 years, sold the club to a Chinese consortium in 2017. U.S.-based hedge fund Elliott Management took over the club in 2018, and it was later sold to another American investment firm, RedBird Capital Partners, in 2022.
Antonio Conte, the former Juventus and Italy coach, led Inter Milan to its first Serie A title in over a decade in 2021, breaking Juventus' grip on the league crown. That was Inter's first major trophy since 2011 and the first league title since 2010.
AC Milan finished as runners-up in the 2020-2021 season and managed to end their 11-year wait for the scudetto by winning the 2021-2022 Serie A title.
What is the schedule and location for watching AC Milan vs SSC Napoli?
What is the schedule and location for AC Milan vs SSC Napoli in the Champions League quarterfinals?
The match will take place at the San Siro with a scheduled kick-off time of 12:30 am IST on April 13.
How can I watch the AC Milan vs SSC Napoli match?
The game will be broadcast live on Sony Ten 1 SD and HD.
Can I live stream AC Milan vs SSC Napoli?
Yes, the match can be live streamed on Sony LIV.
Last season in Europe, Inter Milan reached the knockout stage of the Champions League but was eliminated by Liverpool in the round of 16, despite winning at Anfield. In 2020, Inter reached the Europa League final but lost to Sevilla.
Milan returned to the Champions League last season after an eight-year absence but failed to progress beyond the group stage. Meanwhile, Napoli has never made it to the quarterfinals of the competition before. However, Napoli is on track to win its first Serie A title since the 1990 season, with a 16-point lead over second-place Lazio. Despite this, the team suffered a heavy 4-0 defeat to Milan in their recent encounter. Interestingly, Napoli coach Luciano Spalletti has lost to Milan counterpart Stefano Pioli only twice in 14 matches.
