Sunday April 14, 2013 Day 32 Finished Stadio Giuseppe Meazza
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Serie A - Vidal double hands Juve win at Lazio
Juventus moved another win nearer the Serie A title with a comfortable 2-0 victory over Lazio at Rome's Stadio Olimpico. More
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Live Commentary
Time:90'- AC Milan
- Napoli
- - What did you make of tonight's game at the San Siro? Should Napoli have pressed home their man advantage? Was the decision to send off Flamini the right one? Let me know on Twitter (@grahamruthven).
- - Napoli maintain their four point lead over Milan in the Serie A table depsite failing to record victory against ten men Milan this evening. A fiesty affair at the San Siro saw more physical battles and yellow cards than goals, but an entertaining match nonetheless.
94' FULL TIME: Milan 1-1 Napoli- 93' Pazzini gives away a foul in the attacking third and Allegri berates him from the sidelines. The Milan forward has got too involved in a physical battle with Britos tonight.
- 92' Can either side wind up one last push for a winner? Looks like Napoli fancy their chances in these final two minutes of stoppage time.
- 91' Armero clips a cross into the box, forcing Abbiati to punch clear which almost falls to Cavani. That was perilously close for Milan.
- 90' An additional four minutes of stoppage time to be played.
88' YELLOW CARD: Philippe Mexes (Milan).- 88' YELLOW CARD: Hugo Campagnaro (Napoli).
- 87' Montolivo fires at goal after bitty play from both sides but despite gathering a deflection off Pazzini his effort goes wide.
- 86' That booking has been in the post for a while for Britos. This time he brings down Pazzini and Rocchi decides enough is enough and books the Napoli player.
- 86' YELLOW CARD: Miguel Britos (Napoli).
85' Milan sub: Ignazio Abate OFF, Matteo De Sciglio ON.- 84' Cavani lines up a freekick 20 yards out but he plants his effort right in the centre of the Milan wall.
- 83' YELLOW CARD: Giampaolo Pazzini (Milan).
- 82' Mazzarri throws another attacker on the pitch in the form of Calaio. He clearly feels his side can claim all three points here.
- 81' Napoli sub: Christian Maggio OFF, Emmanuele Calaio ON.
- 80' El Shaarawy juggles the ball over Behrami before hitting the ground, looking for a spot kick. However, Pazzini plays on and fires over the bar.
- 79' Napoli have loud shouts for a penalty turned down by Rocchi. Viewing the replay it's now quite clear what the Napoli players saw in that. Correct decision.
- 78' Niang puts in a heavy challenge on Armero to concede a freekick in a dangerous position. Tensions are running high now!
- 77' Cavani takes the ball inside the box, turning to face goal with one touch but his side-footed finish is wayward and drifts high and wide.
- 76' Now that Milan are down to ten men perhaps Mazzarri regrets his decision to withdraw Hamsik and Pandev from play. Surely the win is there for the taking?
- 75' So El Shaarawy is finally on the pitch after being told to get ready at half-time, but his side are now down to ten men after Flamini's red card and an impetious five minutes of play.
- 74' YELLOW CARD: Edinson Cavani (Napoli).
- 73' Milan sub: Robinho OFF, Stephan El Shaarawy ON.
- 72' YELLOW CARD: Christian Maggio (Napoli).
- 71' A shocking challenge by Flamini on Zuniga and the Milan midfielder is rightfully sent off. Looked to go over the top of the ball in the tackle. The home side down to ten men for the last 20 minutes of this game.
71' RED CARD: Mathieu Flamini (Milan).- 70' Armero's hanging cross, his first contribution in the game, is too steep for Cavani and Abbiati catches with ease.
- 69' That is a very interesting change by Walter Mazzarri. In bringing off Hamsik for Armero he looks to have opted for a more defensive system for the last 20 minutes.
- 68' Napoli sub: Marek Hamsik OFF, Pablo Armero ON.
- 67' Constant's cross into the box is too strong for any of his teammates and goes out for a throw in. Milan have no cutting edge at the moment, despite the possession they're enjoying.
- 66' And still El Shaarawy waits to come on. He's been waiting for 20 minutes now.
- 65' Napoli sub: Goran Pandev OFF, Lorenzo Insigne ON.
- 64' That booking means that De Sanctis will be suspended for next week's clash against Cagliari.
- 63' YELLOW CARD: Morgan De Sanctis (Napoli).
- 62' The momentum of this match does seem to be with Milan now. Although Napoli are dangerous on the counter attack. This might play into their strengths.
- 61' Niang puts a freekick from 20 yards high and well wide. The technique didn't look to be there. Really poor effort.
- 60' Hamsik is played through beyond the Milan backline by Cavani, but before he can pass to Pandev in a better position alongside him Abate slides in to win the ball. Great tackle.
- 59' This time Robinho's cross into the penalty area fails to get past the first man. The groans are getting louder inside the San Siro.
- 58' Robinho's corner is woeful and exits the pitch on the opposite touchline. That might get El Shaarawy on a little quicker.
- 57' Flamini latches on to a chipped through ball but Valon Behrami heads behind for a corner kick.
- 55' Another camera shot of El Shaawary looking rather perplexed on the bench. Why has Allegri told him to get ready if he's not coming on?
- 54' Cavani is played through but his touch is too heavy and despite a moment's hesitation Abbiati gets down to the turf to dive on the ball.
- 53' Flamini shoots on sight, with De Sanctis getting down low to gather. Pazzini berates the midfielder for not working the ball into the box.
- 52' Both sides are struggling to create anything in the final third in this second half. Napoli have had most of the possession but Cavani is still very quiet by his standards.
- 51' Pazzini looks to be man-handled by Britos but Rocchi sees nothing wrong with the challenge and waves play on.
- 50' Looks like Milan are just waiting for El Shaarway to come on. He's still sat on the bench in his strip. What is Allegri waiting for?
49' Pandev fires an arrowed strike towards goal but it's too straight and Abbiati gets his body behind it to hold on.- 48' Great tackle by Miguel Britos and Niang but rather than play the ball out he attempts a clever drag back and concedes a corner. Thankfully for Napoli the set-piece comes to nothing.
- 46' Both teams feeling their way into this second half. The frantic pace of the first half has eased.
- 45' El Shaarawy looks to be stripped and ready to come on. Why not just throw him on at half-time?
45' Milan start the second half!- - What have you made of the first half? Will Milan regret not taking advantage of their early pressure? Are Napoli now favourites for this? Let me know on Twitter (@grahamruthven).
- - Sometimes games between the top three can be slightly disappointing but this has been a fascinating tie so far. Milan looked to have the beating of Napoli early in the half but after Flamini's opener Napoli have been the better side. Any bets on which way this game will go in the second half? I'm keeping my money in my pocket.
- 46' HALF TIME: Milan 1-1 Napoli
- 46' Niang fires an effort at goal but his low drive drifts harmlessly wide of the target.
- 45' A single minute of additional time to be played at the end of the first half.
- 43' As it stands the difference between Milan and Napoli (third and second) still stands at four points.
- 42' I get the sense Milan need the half-time break here. They look out of ideas.
- 41' Cavani denied a simply brilliant goal by Abbiati! The Napoli striker expertly took down a long ball lumped forward from the back before attempting an audacious chip over the keeper but Abbiati gets his fingertips to it.
- 40' According to the stats (and we know they tell us everything) Napoli have yet to concede a single foul in this match. It's almost half-time!
- 39' Pazzini looks to turn Cannavaro in the box, but despite a rather reckless approach by the Napoli defender the danger is cleared.
- 38' Dzemaili tries to slot through Cavani but the Napoli strikes mis-times his run and is called offside.
- 37' Conceding looks to have woken up Napoli. They now look to have the momentum, although it will be interesting to see how they now deal with the pace of Niang.
- 36' Boateng has looked bothered by an injury in the last few minutes and indeed is withdrawn. But it isn't El Shaarawy that replaces him. Instead it's Niang.
- 35' Milan sub: Kevin Prince Boateng OFF, M'Baye Niang ON.
- 34' Robinho gets in behind the wing backs on the left flank, playing the ball into the box for Pazzini who is brought down by Hugo Campagnaro but the referee says no penalty. Looked to be the correct call.
- 33' All of a sudden this game has exploded into life! Extremely stretched now.
32' GOAL! Milan 1-1 Napoli (32 mins - Goran Pandev). Hamsik's pass finds Pandev inside the box who pokes past the keeper with his left foot.- 30' Flamini has struggled with injury since joining Milan from Arsenal but he's shown glimpses of what he can for Milan this season.
- 29' That's now two goals in two games for Flamini, who scored in last week's 2-2 draw with Fiorentina. It was an excellent finish by the former Arsenal man.
- 28' GOAL! Milan 1-0 Napoli (28 mins - Mathieu Flamini). Good work from Robinho put the ball at the midfielder's feet who swept home from 20 yards.
- 27' Cavani wins the ball in the Milan half, turning and driving at the opposition goal but fires his effort well over the bar. Should've done better.
- 26' Napoli look to be struggling in the final third. This time Hamsik plays through Cavani but the striker is called offside.
- 25' Montolivo's cross into the box is headed back into the danger area by Zapata but De Sanctis gathers under pressure from Pazzini.
- 23' Riccardo Montolivo has become such a key player for Milan this season. He's dropped deeper into midfield as this game has wore on.
- 22' Pazzini attempts to take a Boateng cross on his chest but is dispossessed. The Milan striker has netted eight in his last nine Serie A appearances.
- 21' Milan take control of the ball, knocking the ball along their backline to calm down what has become a frantic affair in the last few minutes.
- 20' Hamsik surges into space in the centre of the pitch before trying to thread through Pandev but Mexes intercepts, crucially for Milan.
- 19' Napoli are gradually playing themselves back into this game after an indifferent start. Hamsik and Zuniga looking brighter.
- 18' Juan Zuniga's cross certainly struck Flamini's arm inside the box but the Frenchman appeared to be drawing his arm out the way. Would've been a harsh decision.
- 17' Napoli have appeals for a penalty kick for handball against Mathieu Flamini turned down by referee Rocchi. They have to settle for a corner.
- 16' Cavani has struggled to get into this match so far. Despite scoring four goals in his last three games, those four goals are his only goals in his last 11 games. His form has been chequered in 2013.
- 15' Milan have won all of their last eight home games, with Fiorentina the last side to come away from the San Siro with anything. Napoli look like they might be next to suffer defeat here, if the opening exchanges are anything to go by.
- 14' Edinson Cavani wins a corner for Napoli but the delivery into the box isn't good enough and Milan set off on a counter attack.
- 12' Kevin Constant plays a looping cross into the box for Boateng rushing into the penalty area but the Ghanian can't direct his effort on target.
- 11' Napoli have been criticised for their form against the big three (Juventus, Inter, AC) this season. In fact they've only taken two points from 12 in games against them.
- 10' Milan's midfield is dominating things at the moment. Napoli need Marek Hamsik to get involved in the contest. Anonymous so far.
- 9' Blerim Dzemaili drives through the Milan midfield but tries to slot through Goran Pandev. Given his goalscoring form of late (four goals in two games) perhaps Dzemaili would've been better shooting.
- 8' Gauging by the murmours inside the San Siro every time Robinho gets the ball it would seem the home support aren't too happy with Allegri's selection. They can't seem to figure it out either.
- 7' Cristian Zapata gets his head on a deep corner into the Napoli box but powers his effort over the bar.
- 6' Milan have started this game well, pressing Napoli high up the pitch. Boateng, who is sporting a new bleached blonde barnet, has looked lively.
- 5' Boateng has another effort on goal after good work from Philippe Mexes on the right but this time his effort goes wide.
- 4' Excellent save by Morgan De Sanctis from Kevin Prince Boateng! The low strike from Boateng appeared to take a touch off Paolo Cannavaro on its way through, but the Napoli keeper got down well to palm away.
- 3' The reason given by Milan boss Allegri for El Shaarawy's absence from the starting line-up is that with the attacker on a yellow card he is being preserved for next week's game against Juventus. But if Milan lose tonight will that game matter?
- 2' Milan take control of the early possession, with Robinho driving inside off the left wing but misplacing his pass. With Balotelli and El Shaarawy out they'll be a lot of focus on the Brazilian.
- 2' Italian football is often criticised for its poor attendances, but the San Siro is bustling tonight! Looks to be at capacity to me. Andriy Shevchenko is in attendance tonight too.
1' Referee Gianluca Rocchi gets the game under way!`- 19:44 The two sides are out on San Siro pitch, lining up for the ceremonial handshakes. Both sides hope they'll be lining up for that famous Champions League anthem next season. That's certainly what Milan are playing for, certainly.
- 19:43 "Even when the sky is dark, the sun shines on San Siro." So says a massive banner hung on the Curva Sud, anyway.
- 19:40 Of course, Mario Balotelli is suspended for this game after picking up a three-game suspension in last week's 2-2 draw with Fiorentina. Will the Rossoneri miss him in attack? The stats say so. He's scored seven goals in eight games.
- 19:35 In the context of the league table this game is very important for both sides. If Napoli are to make a last push on Juventus' position at the top they need to win this game, and with Fiorentina keeping the pressure up on Milan for that third Champions League spot they need the three points as well.
- 19:30 El Shaarawy has been struggling with tendonitis in his knee so perhaps that's the reason for his absence. Although the pace of M'Baye Niang might've been a better option for Milan against a narrow defence.
- 19:25 Big call from Milan boss Max Allegri to omit Stephan El Shaarawy from his line-up, particularly considering how Napoli play with a three-man backline. It doesn't appear to make tactical sense.
- 19:20 TEAM NEWS: Milan - Abbiati; Abate, Zapata, Mexes, Constant; Flamini, Montolivo, Muntari, Boateng; Pazzini, Robinho. /// Napoli - De Sanctis; Campagnaro, Cannavaro, Britos, Maggio; Behrami, Dzemaili, Hamsik, Zuniga; Pandev, Cavani.
- 19:15 Good evening everyone! Welcome to Eurosport's LIVE coverage of the Serie A tie between AC Milan and Napoli at the San Siro. What are you thinking ahead of kick-off (19:45)? Let me know on Twitter (@grahamruthven).
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Summary
- 71' RED CARD: Mathieu Flamini (Milan).
- 49' Pandev fires an arrowed strike towards goal but it's too straight and Abbiati gets his body behind it to hold on.
- 41' Cavani denied a simply brilliant goal by Abbiati! The Napoli striker expertly took down a long ball lumped forward from the back before attempting an audacious chip over the keeper but Abbiati gets his fingertips to it.
- 32' GOAL! Milan 1-1 Napoli (32 mins - Goran Pandev). Hamsik's pass finds Pandev inside the box who pokes past the keeper with his left foot.
- 28' GOAL! Milan 1-0 Napoli (28 mins - Mathieu Flamini). Good work from Robinho put the ball at the midfielder's feet who swept home from 20 yards.
- 4' Excellent save by Morgan De Sanctis from Kevin Prince Boateng! The low strike from Boateng appeared to take a touch off Paolo Cannavaro on its way through, but the Napoli keeper got down well to palm away.
Team Line-up & Ratings
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Line-up
Live Team Line-Up
Starting line-up
- C. Abbiati
- I. Abate
- C. Zapata
- P. Mexès
- K. Constant
- R. Montolivo
- M. Flamini
- S. Muntari
- K. Boateng
- Robinho
- G. Pazzini
Subs
Starting line-up
- M. De Sanctis
- H. Campagnaro
- P. Cannavaro
- M. Britos
- V. Behrami
- B. Dzemaili
- C. Maggio
- M. Hamšík
- J. Zúñiga
- G. Pandev
- E. Cavani
Subs
- M. De Sanctis
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Rate Players
74′ how could someone give Montolivo less than 6??? He was the best on the field... gave his heart...ran all over, served delightful balls..a LION
FORZA EL SHAAWARY
robinho you are worth a milan shirt #$%$ off
ALLEGRI CORLEONE
please allegri go coach another team you are too slow on your subs so #$%$ off
roboinho #$%$
kevin constant , , . constantly #$%$
hey robinho #$%$ off back to brazil coz god you are #$%$ oh and take pazzi with you
milan to win for my accumilator, 2100 yes pls
MATCH FIXING FOR A DRAW !!!!!!!!
the game will end a draw
DRAW DRAW
napli !!
0-0 all draw
Forzaa Milanoo!!!!
Andiamo Rossonerri! Milan 3-1 Napoli. El Sharaawy,Montolivo,Pazzini/Hamsik
