Milan vs. Napoli Emphasizes How Far Rossoneri Have Fallen Behind Serie A Elite

As little as five years ago, AC Milan was a team that could boss a game against any team they played.  The superior quality of their roster was a backbreaking advantage, and only the very best could keep up with them.

Now for the first time since Silvio Berlusconi took over the team in the 1980s, Milan fans know what it's like to be on the other end of that equation.

If it hadn't already been confirmed by their play for most of the last two seasons, Sunday's 3-0 loss to Napoli certainly served to do so.

Of the traditional triumvirate of Milan, Inter and Juventus, only the Bianconeri have managed to remain near the top.  Now Napoli and Roma represent the new elites of Serie A.

The contrast between the quality of the rosters competing at the San Paolo was striking.  The Partenopei were superior in every phase of the game except perhaps goalkeeping, where Diego Lopez once again played hero.

That fall is especially evident at the back.  Mattia De Sciglio—who only a year ago was being hailed as a potential successor to Paolo Maldini and was a regular in the Italy setup—has regressed mightily.  Fitness issues have contributed to a lack of rhythm, but when De Sciglio has gotten onto the field, he seems to completely lose his head.

Sunday certainly wasn't a banner day.  Within 45 seconds the 22-year-old had brought Marek Hamsik down in the box for a penalty.  The straight red card that followed was rather harsh—Gabriel Paletta looked to be coming over to make a last-ditch challenge on the Slovakian international.

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But in the judgement of Paolo Mazzoleni, De Sciglio had denied a goalscoring opportunity and was sent to the locker room before he'd even broken a sweat.  Milan would have to play with 10 men for more than 89 minutes.  Lopez's penalty save against Gonzalo Higuain gave the team a temporary respite, but the writing was already on the wall.

The rest of the game showed just how superior Napoli's players are compared to their opponents.

The Rossoneri defended valiantly for 70 of those 89 minutes.  But when Pippo Inzaghi began making changes to his lineup in the second half, the players he called upon were simply not good enough to make a difference.  Giampaolo Pazzini came on in a like-for-like change for a visibly upset Mattia Destro just before the hour, and five minutes later Daniele Bonera came to play left-back for Salvatore Bocchetti.

Bocchetti, playing slightly out of position for the injured Luca Antonelli, had a torrid day.  He was guilty of several bad giveaways that gave Napoli some good chances in the first half.  Unfortunately, Bonera isn't exactly an upgrade.  Nine minutes after coming on, the 33-year-old tried to head the ball clear but instead put the ball right into the path of Hamsik, who deservedly opened the scoring with a vicious curling shot.

It was the start of an absolute meltdown that saw Napoli open up a 3-0 lead in six minutes.  The Rossoneri had played like a more inspired team than we'd seen in recent weeks, but after Hamsik scored, they reverted to the group we've seen all month—a team that has totally given up hope on the season.

The contrast of the two rosters becomes starker when you take into account Napoli's substitutions.  Rafael Benitez was able to call on Belgian international Dries Mertens and rising Italian star Manolo Gabbiadini to give an added edge to his attack—and both of them played important roles in the seven-minute stretch that doomed Milan to yet another embarrassing defeat.

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A week ago this space commented on the complete lack of leadership in this team.  Leadership is an important aspect of the team, but so is quality, and outside of Lopez, Milan has none of it.  There is no one on this team that can hold a candle to players on Napoli or Roma—let alone an elite squad like Juventus.

Milan needs a complete squad overhaul.  Given the financial climate in Italy and the club's uncertain ownership status—which, according to potential buyer Bee Taechaubol (h/t Football Italia) may take several more weeks to clear—it may take a few more seasons for sufficient turnover to make this team competitive again.

But if it wasn't clear before, it's like crystal now.  Milan is not a top team in Italy anymore—and until they shape things up, they won't be anywhere close to the league's new elites.