As we pointed out on the most
recent podcast, Napoli may be doing better than Milan, but they are
inconsistent. Additionally, they had to play a Europa League match yesterday,
so they will likely be tired. But our best chance of overcoming them will be
our home advantage and our 12th man. If we are the Diavoli, then the San Siro
should be hell, and playing at home gives us exactly that: a chance in hell of
winning.
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| Benitez' expression after hearing that Inzaghi would probably start Bonera again |
The Napoli side that fought for the Scudetto last year
languishes in fifth place at the moment, eleven points behind Juventus, and on
the wrong side of surprises Genoa and Sampdoria. Rafa Benitez came under fire
early this season with the inconsistent results, but De Laurentiis has shown a
lot of patience with him. Their 3-0 Europa League win yesterday vs. Slovan
Bratislava and resulting qualification for the next round should give them some
confidence. But Milan fans everywhere are hoping it also takes some of the wind
out of their sails physically.
In Serie A, Napoli played Empoli last weekend at the San
Paolo, a game that saw them go down two goals to the newly promoted side, and
then come back for a 2-2 draw to salvage the point. For that game, Benitez
lined up Rafael; Henrique, Maggio, Ghoulam, Albiol; Callejon, Jorginho,
Mertens, Hamsik, David Lopez; and Duvan Zapata. However Maggio earned a yellow
card that will see him suspended for Sunday. They will also be missing Insigne,
Michu, and Zuniga to injuries.
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| Hamsik pitying Milan and trying to give us an advantage by playing like a girl |
Milan have Montolivo back from injury finally, and he played
60 minutes last week. But the fitness and return of Muntari, Abate, De Sciglio,
and Alex are still in question for this match as of this writing. Worse than
injuries, though, is the team morale. Despite being 5 points better at this
point than the same point last year, Milan really need another win to boost
their confidence right now. And while anything is possible, Napoli still have
better momentum and coming into the match.
Milan’s best hope is that the fans will rally and give them
that psychological edge. That is if they can behave themselves and not get the club fined for territorial discrimination. On the pitch, Napoli have a squad with more depth and talent, an
experienced coach, and the advantage of playing together longer. But despite
things being stacked against us, Milan do have a chance in hell of getting a
result on Sunday. Let’s just hope we take it.
This post inspired by the music of
the Kings of Leon
Milan vs. Napoli
Sunday, December 14 • 20:45 CET (2:45pm EST)
This match will be shown LIVE on RAI and BeIN Sports in the U.S.