AC Milan host Napoli in the first leg of an all-Italian Champions League quarterfinal clash as the soon-to-be Serie A champions match up against the reigning Serie A champs with both teams harbouring realistic expectations of reaching the final.
Luciano Spalletti's Napoli side has been nearly unbeatable in both league and European action this season, and were for a while the most in-form side on the continent, but recent slips have seen them left with something to prove in this game.
Napoli fell to Lazio in early March, and then suffered a heavy 4-0 league loss to this same AC Milan team just a week ago. As they march comfortably toward the 2022/23 Serie A title, Napoli's recent missteps coupled with a slight defensive regression means they aren't quite the juggernaut they once were considered, and could be vulnerable.
But AC Milan are mired in a run of inconsistency as well, and need to bring their best to down Napoli for a second time in succession. Down to the final eight of the Champions League, the margins will be razor thin between two opponents who know each other well.
LIVE BLOG: Follow along live with highlights & commentary as Napoli and Milan meet in UCL play
Watch AC Milan vs Napoli live stream, TV channel
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| Date | Time | TV channel | Streaming | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| USA | Wed, April 12 | 15:00 EDT | — | Paramount+, ViX, ViX+ |
| Canada | Wed, April 12 | 15:00 EDT | — | DAZN |
| UK | Wed, April 12 | 20:00 BST | BT Sport 2 | BT Sport site/app |
| Australia | Thu, April 13 | 05:00 AEST | — | Stan Sport |
| New Zealand | Thu, April 13 | 07:00 NZST | — | Spark Sport |
| India | Thu, April 13 | 00:30 IST | Sony TEN 1 | JioTV, Sony LIV |
| Hong Kong | Thu, April 13 | 03:00 HKT | beIN Sports Xtra | beIN Sports Connect |
| Malaysia | Thu, April 13 | 03:00 MYT | beIN Sports Xtra | beIN Sports Connect |
| Singapore | Thu, April 13 | 03:00 SGT | beIN Sports Xtra | beIN Sports Connect |
🍀 Fortune favours the bold
— Official SSC Napoli (@en_sscnapoli) April 9, 2023
💙 #ForzaNapoliSempre pic.twitter.com/UnuOB3j89s
AC Milan vs Napoli lineups, team news
AC Milan have very few injury concerns to worry about. Brahim Diaz, Rafael Leao, Simon Kjaer, and Olivier Giroud were all rested over the weekend, but are all fit to start this game.
The only regular starter on the sidelines is defender Pierre Kalulu who has missed two straight league games with a calf injury, although he did do some light training on Monday and even he passes a late fitness test to make the bench. Zlatan Ibrahimovic, 41, has been slow to return fully from his injury troubles, and after missing the weekend match, he is still not training fully with the squad.
AC Milan confirmed starting lineup (4-2-3-1): Maignan (GK) — Calabria, Kjaer, Tomori, L. Hernandez – Krunic, Tonali — B. Diaz, Bennacer, Leao — Giroud.
11 leoni 🦁💪#MilanNapoli #UCL #SempreMilan pic.twitter.com/I0IrUyAsDz
— AC Milan (@acmilan) April 12, 2023
The news on Victor Osimhen was pessimistic all week, and the fears were confirmed just 24 hours before the match. The Nigerian striker has been ruled out, having trained alone on Monday. It feels like he will be back soon, but this match comes just a bit too early for him to see the field.
Osimhen was thought to be Napoli's only injury concern, leaving Luciano Spalletti with an otherwise full squad to choose from, but in the final days before the match Giovanni Simeone cropped up with a quad injury. It was thought that Giacomo Raspadori would therefore fill in up front at the striker spot, but instead, midfielder Eljif Elmas enters, leaving Hirving Lozano or Khvicha Kvaratskhelia — or even Elmas — as a False 9.
MORE: Top goal scorers for the 2022/23 Champions League
Napoli confirmed starting lineup (4-4-2): Meret (GK) — Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Kim, Rui — Anguissa, Lobotka, lmas, Zielinski — Lozano, Kvaratskhelia.
📃 STARTING XI
— Official SSC Napoli (@en_sscnapoli) April 12, 2023
Meret, Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Minjae, Mario Rui, Anguissa, Lobotka, Zielinski, Lozano, Elmas, Kvaratskhelia
#MilanNapoli #UCL
💙 #ForzaNapoliSempre pic.twitter.com/dDOYd7XGfN
AC Milan vs Napoli betting odds
Napoli are considered only slight road favourites for this match, considering they were recently defeated by AC Milan in league play. However, in that 4-0 Milan win, Napoli had little to play for, and a tighter contest is expected this time.
Still, AC Milan are given a chance at home against a team that has largely steamrolled much of Europe en route to a scudetto and Champions League quarterfinal place.
The betting market is favouring the under 2.5 total goals as scoring is thought to be at a premium. The likely absence of Napoli top scorer Victor Osimhen is probably a factor in that, as are Milan's struggles in front of goal and their consequent defensive nature.
| AC Milan win | Draw | Napoli win | Both teams to score Y / N | Over / Under 2.5 goals | NAP -0.5 | MIL +0.5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BetMGM (USA) | +175 | +220 | +155 | -125 / -115 | +105 / -145 | +145 | -210 |
| Sports Interaction (Canada) | +184 | +229 | +140 | -132 / -118 | +106 / -142 | +150 | -196 |
| SkyBet (UK) | 7/4 | 9/4 | 8/5 | 4/5, 10/11 | 11/10, 4/6 | — | — |
| Neds (Australia) | 2.80 | 3.10 | 2.60 | 1.83 / 1.87 | 2.15 / 1.67 | — | — |
| Dafabet (India) | 2.74 | 3.16 | 2.57 | 1.83 / 1.91 | 2.14 / 1.71 | 2.55 | 1.51 |
