Napoli vs AC Milan: Supercoppa Italiana Preview
The upcoming Supercoppa Italiana match between Napoli and AC Milan marks a historical moment, as it will be the first encounter in this competition. The match is scheduled for Thursday evening in Riyadh. Both teams are stepping outside of their league campaigns to compete for a spot in the final, where either Inter Milan or Bologna awaits.
Team Background
Napoli, last year’s Serie A champions, aim to secure their third Supercoppa title, having won in 1990 and 2014. However, the team arrives in Saudi Arabia following consecutive defeats in both Serie A and the Champions League. Recently, they faced setbacks, losing to Benfica and then to Udinese, which ended a winning streak of five matches across all competitions.
Despite their strong record at home, Napoli has struggled on the road this season, with seven away defeats. Head coach Antonio Conte’s squad is currently sitting just one point behind AC Milan in the standings. Both clubs have an even record in their last 20 encounters, with each winning seven matches.
Recent Form
AC Milan, the defending Supercoppa champions, qualified for this tournament as the Coppa Italia runners-up. The team aims to equal Juventus with their ninth Supercoppa victory but first must overcome Napoli. Milan has encountered challenges recently, including a Coppa Italia exit and a struggle against Torino, which resulted in a draw with Sassuolo.
In terms of defense, Milan started strong this season but has since allowed goals more frequently. Despite these issues, the experience of manager Max Allegri and influential players keeps them in the race for the Scudetto.
Team News
- Napoli: Romelu Lukaku has returned to training, potentially making the bench after a lengthy injury.
- Key players missing include Kevin De Bruyne, Frank Anguissa, and goalkeeper Alex Meret.
- Rasmus Hojlund leads the Napoli attack, contributing eight goals across competitions.
- AC Milan: Christian Pulisic is in form, having recently scored twice against Torino.
- Santiago Gimenez is sidelined with an ankle issue, affecting the forward lineup.
- Koni De Winter might start in defense due to Matteo Gabbia’s knee injury.
Predicted Lineups
| Napoli | AC Milan |
|---|---|
| Milinkovic-Savic | Maignan |
| Beukema | De Winter |
| Rrahmani | Tomori |
| Jesus | Pavlovic |
| Di Lorenzo | Saelemaekers |
| Lobotka | Loftus-Cheek |
| McTominay | Modric |
| Spinazzola | Rabiot |
| Elmas | Bartesaghi |
| Neres | Pulisic |
| Hojlund | Nkunku |
Match Prediction
The match is expected to be closely contested. While Napoli has faced challenges recently, AC Milan’s solid performances against top teams suggest they may have the upper hand. Anticipation builds for a competitive match between these two iconic clubs.
