We knew that this match would be tough, to face our old warrior as a beloved enemy instead. It pulled at the heartstrings to see former teammates Maldini and Gattuso hug and have so much respect ahead of the game. The match was intense, both teams fought hard. Despite both teams wanting the win and playing to the end, this one would finish a very emotional draw.
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| Emotional |
Both of these teams were in great form since coming back from the break, so we knew it would be a tough contest. While possession ended up pretty even, Napoli took a lot more shots and were far more dangerous in the first half. Gigio was called into action repeatedly, and kept us in the game with trademark super saves.
It was Theo Hernandez who opened the scoring, though, with an exquisite cross from Rebić. 1-0 Milan. Unfortunately, Di Lorenzo equalized in the 34th from a rebound of an Insigne free kick. 1-1 all.
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| Just like that |
The second half is usually our half, but the guys looked tired, and the battle was very fierce. In the 60th, Mertens scored to make it 2-1 Napoli. Pioli’s subs in this match seemed more about tired legs and squad rotation than anything else. To that end, Leao had a couple of great shots that just went inches over, but there wasn't a lot of other opportunities.
The decisive goal was a penalty that La Penna awarded for a foul on Bonaventura in the box. After it took two minutes to clear the whining and complaining Napoli players from the box, Kessie stepped up and slotted it home to equalize, 2-2.
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| And that |
Theo Hernandez got a yellow in the second half, as did Conti. Then Saelemaekers got two yellows in as many minutes and was sent off, forcing Milan to finish on ten men. But we held Napoli back and allowed fewer chances. We certainly weren’t as bad as Mario Rui’s mustache, but we definitely lost a lot once Ibrahimovic was no longer on the pitch.
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| This, however, was just too much |
It was a tough one, not only emotionally, but physically. The hot temperatures required cooling breaks even at the late hour, and both sides seemed to be a little spent with so many games in so few days. A draw was pretty fair, although Napoli had the edge on chances for sure. While Milan desperately needed the three points, one point was better than a loss. And it was nice to show Gattuso that while we miss him, we’re returning to a Milan side he could be proud of.
This post inspired by the music of The Cure’s “Pictures of You”
Our next match is
Serie A Week 33
Milan vs. Parma
Wednesday, July 15 • 19:30 CEST (1:30pm EDT)