Napoli (1) 1-1 (2) AC Milan: Three Things We Learned

AC Milan managed to get the better of their Italian rivals Napoli over two legs to book their place in the UEFA Champions League semi-finals.

In yet another chaotic knockout game, Napoli and AC Milan played out a thrilling 1-1 draw in their second leg meeting last night. The collision was full of unforgettable moments but in the end, Milan just about did enough to hold on and make their way into the final four.

Today, we’ll be taking a look at a few of our big takeaways from the game.

Crazy, frantic, dramatic

If you were looking for drama, then you didn’t need to look any further than Naples on Tuesday night. In addition to an injury time goal, we also saw two missed penalties from two players – Kvaratskhelia and Giroud – who you’d usually expect to score. It was the kind of back and forth game we’ve come to expect from these two, and it was a great advertisement for just how far Italian football has come recently.

The overwhelming pressure

Before April, Napoli had only lost three games in all competitions. This month alone, they’ve lost to Milan twice and only just managed to grab a draw in their third meeting. They are crawling over the finish line in their attempt to win the championship and although they do have a commanding 14-point lead over Lazio, it’s worth noting that the pressure of the situation does seem to be getting to them.

Football heritage

AC Milan are into the semi-finals for the first time since winning the competition in 2007. That’s the kind of resurgence that fans have been waiting to see with this club, and it gets even better when you look at what’s ahead. If Inter Milan are able to hold their 2-0 advantage over Benfica and avoid an upset, the two city rivals will meet for a place in the final. If you can, get yourself over to the San Siro because that’ll be one to remember.