Resurgent Napoli – Hojlund and Neres send the Blues into the Super Cup final

One of Milan’s biggest wins so far this season was their league victory over Napoli, achieved while playing with a man down. The Rossoneri had a fair share of luck on that occasion, but tonight the Neapolitans struck back in the Italian Super Cup semi-final played in Saudi Arabia. Inspired by a brilliant Rasmus Hojlund, they claimed a 2–0 win and booked their place in the final, where Inter or Bologna await. Simply by reaching the final, Napoli secured 5 milion euros, while Milan finished the mini-tournament with 1,6 milion euros.

Conte once again managed to shake up a Napoli side that had looked unsteady after back-to-back defeats against Benfica and Udinese following a winning run. It was clear his team was physically drained after playing with virtually the same lineup for a long period, so he did something he rarely does — changed both the formation and the starters.

It paid off handsomely, as he outsmarted and outplayed Max Allegri in every aspect. This was one of Milan’s worst performances of the season. Everything Allegri altered or tried in an attempt to surprise Napoli backfired. Milan looked completely powerless tonight.

Without the long-term injured Lukaku, De Bruyne, Gilmour and Zambo Anguissa, Conte did not have many options, but rotation was necessary. He adjusted the system to something between a 3-4-2-1 and a 4-2-3-1, with Elmas once again given a more advanced role alongside Neres as a pair of attacking midfielders, while Politano and Spinazzola provided width.

Allegri’s choices were even more surprising. Injured Gabbia was replaced at the back by Koni De Winter, Estupinan unexpectedly started on the left instead of Bartesaghi, while Nkunku took Leao’s place in attack and disappointed once again. The biggest surprise, however, was Ardon Jashari in midfield instead of Luka Modric.

Allegri’s plan was to catch Napoli on the counter and from set pieces, but Conte read it perfectly. To be fair, Milan were more dangerous in the opening 15 minutes, creating half-chances through Loftus-Cheek and Saelemaekers, but Napoli quickly took control.

As the match went on, Rasmus Hojlund caused increasing problems for Milan’s defence, especially for Koni De Winter. With McTominay arriving from deep, Napoli grew more and more threatening. After Nkunku squandered a promising counter-attack near the end of the first half, punishment came swiftly.

Hojlund saved a seemingly lost ball on the left flank and nutmegged De Winter with a pass into the six-yard box, where Maignan reacted poorly and left an empty net for Neres, who gladly accepted the gift.

Hojlund soon had another chance to make it 2–0, but this time Maignan read the shot to the near post well.

That worrying end to the first half clearly did not alarm Allegri enough, as he made no changes at the break — despite several players being ripe for substitution. Conte knew the job was far from done at 1–0 and pushed even harder after the restart.

Maignan saved Milan once again early in the second half after a shot from Rrahmani, but after an hour of play he was beaten again. Once more Spinazzola sent the ball toward Hojlund, once more the Dane slipped past De Winter, and once again Maignan reacted poorly. Hojlund finished from a near-impossible angle, finding the far corner past the badly positioned Milan goalkeeper.

Allegri responded with substitutions and switched to a back four, but it was too late. Napoli also dropped into a four-man defence and completely shut down access to goal, leaving Milinkovic-Savic largely untroubled. Milan failed to create anything until the end. Pulisic was anonymous, Nkunku ineffective, while McTominay missed a clear chance for 3–0 late on, sending the ball high over the bar.

Napoli march on toward another trophy, while Milan remain in contention on just one of their three domestic fronts — and are showing more and more signs of weakness.

SUPERCOPPA ITALIANA

Semi-finals

Thursday

Napoli - Milan 2-0 (1-0)

/Neres 39, Hojlund 63/

Friday

22.00: (5.90) Bologna (3.90) Inter (1.67)

***odds are subject to change***