Milan Must Make This Derby Count

A penalty had given AC Milan a foothold in the last Italian Cup meeting; Napoli took it away again almost immediately after the restart. Rubén Montes put Napoli back in front in the 46th minute, and Gianni Chessa’s goal made it 3-1. That defeat on 5 March is the clearest warning before Wednesday’s semi-final, with Milan seeking a different answer in a derby that carries a place in the final at stake.

Napoli won 3-1 in the Cup and 2-1 in the league; the January meeting at Milan ended 2-2. Napoli’s league run is now 12 matches unbeaten. The cup tie, though, is its own contest: recent league form will not spare Milan from the need to manage the details better than they did last time.

Both sides are expected to use a 4-4-2. Milan have used that shape in each of their last 12 games, while it has featured in nine of Napoli’s last 12. Armin Cottignoli is a major threat for the hosts, with four goals and an assist in his latest five appearances, though he is listed as tired. Diego Maurício has supplied three assists in his latest three games and is expected on the left. There he faces Stéphane Assélé, whose tackling gives Napoli a sturdy answer to Maurício’s dribbling.

Napoli’s Reginaldo has three goals and two assists in his latest five games, and is their sharpest recent threat. But Matteo Poziello, a regular in central midfield, is out with a twisted ankle and is expected back around 11 May. He started the March cup tie; the expected Napoli side now has four new names, while Milan’s has three. Familiarity, then, will not mean identical teams.

Milan’s Emiliano Amore, who spent two seasons at Napoli, is expected to start up front. His old club needs no introduction; neither does the task. This time Milan must turn home advantage into control, not another opening for Napoli to seize.