In the first half between Napoli and Milan, with a saved penalty, pressure from the hosts and arbitration controversy, the Italians compete for a spot in the Champions League semifinals
This Tuesday, the 18th, napoli received the Milanin a match valid for the quarterfinals of the Champions League. After the first match ended with a victory for the Rossoneri, by the score of 1 to 0, the hosts need to look for the result, but they had a scare in the first minutes, with a penalty signed for the opponent.
At 20′, Rafael Leão was fouled in the penalty area, after Mario Rui arrive late in the game. For billing, Giroud took responsibility and tried to open the scoring, but ran into a great defense by Meret, which maintained the tie. In response, Napoli tried to create some collective moves, as they are used to doing, but found difficulties in attack.
At 33 minutes, Politan, a very important player for Napoli, had to leave the field after suffering an injury. Therefore, the Mexican Lozano entered the match. Shortly afterwards, the attacker got involved in a bid with Rafael Leão, who made a tackle inside the penalty area. However, even with the video referee’s review, the penalty was not awarded to the hosts.
However, it got even worse for the hosts, who fell further behind on the aggregate scoreboard. Initiating a sensational counterattack, in the 42nd minute, Rafael Leão carried the ball from the middle, left the opponents behind and served Giroud, who this time only scored to score. A bucket of cold water in Napoli. Interval! 1 to 0.
Source: sportbuzz
I am William Jackson and I have a passion for sports journalism. With over 3 years of experience in the industry, I have worked in a variety of roles to improve the quality and accuracy of sports news coverage. As an author at Athletistic, I specialize in covering football news and providing comprehensive analysis for fans around the world.