AC Milan vs. Napoli: Team News, Predicted Lineups, Live Stream, TV Info

Milan and Napoli are two of Italian football’s biggest clubs. They are both also on the first pages of a new chapter in their respective histories as, after relative underachievement last season, they each installed new head coaches, freshened up their playing personnel and aimed high.

Milan brought in Sinisa Mihajlovic to steer them; Napoli brought in Maurizio Sarri. The pair are considered two of the most intriguing up-and-coming coaches in Serie A, though as this season has so far shown, both will need time to implement their ideas.

Mihajlovic’s Milan have shown defensive frailty and positional incoherence at times, stumbling from victory to defeat with chaotic inconsistency. Three wins and three defeats have ensured the Rossoneri’s start to the campaign has been perfectly middling as they currently lie 11th in the league table.

Salvatore Laporta/Associated Press

Meanwhile, Sarri’s Napoli sit just above them in 10th by virtue of goal difference. They have scored more and conceded fewer than Milan, though they have still only managed to accumulate the same amount of points (nine).

While circumstantially and statistically, Milan and Napoli appear to be in similar situations, the latter have shown more promise. The Partenopei have at times played superlative football full of vigour and flair. For the most part, Milan have looked stunted in comparison.

Thus, while Milan welcome Napoli as visitors to their San Siro home on level pegging, they will face a daunting task. Sarri’s ideas seem to be clicking with his players at a quicker rate than Mihajlovic with his, and the results are starting to correlate with performance, with Napoli having won four of their last five matches in all competitions.

Date: Sunday 4 October

Time: 7:45 p.m. BST/2:45 p.m. ET

Venue: San Siro, Milan, Italy

TV Info: BT Sport Europe (UK)

Live Stream: Not available

Form Guide

Genoa 1-0 Milan

Udinese 2-3 Milan

Milan 3-2 Palermo

Inter 1-0 Milan

Mantova 2-3 Milan (friendly)

Legia Warsaw 0-2 Napoli (Europa League)

Napoli 2-1 Juventus

Carpi 0-0 Napoli

Napoli 5-0 Lazio

Napoli 5-0 Club Brugge (Europa League)

Team News and Predicted Lineups

During their 1-0 defeat to Genoa, Milan saw their young centre-back Alessio Romagnoli see red for two yellow card offences. As a result, they will have to do without their most talented central defender against Napoli.

In his absence, Mihajlovic will probably turn to another inexperienced option in Rodrigo Ely. The Brazilian was himself sent off on the opening day of the season in defeat to Fiorentina but has since returned to occupy a spot on the bench.

Given Milan have been unable to keep a clean sheet in the league with Romagnoli available, the prospect of playing Napoli—the league’s joint-second highest scoring team—without him is worrying.

Furthermore, Milan will also be unable to call upon the experience of right-back Ignazio Abate, who is still out injured after being taken off in the first half of Milan’s win over Palermo.

Kerstin Joensson/Associated Press

Luca Antonelli may well be up for selection again after injury troubles of his own and, if he is fit enough, should be given the nod at left-back, allowing Mattia De Sciglio to transfer to the right side of defence.

Davide Calabria has impressed in that position of late, though Mihajlovic may feel uncomfortable fielding him and Ely as part of an already shaky back line against the scoring prowess of Gonzalo Higuain, Jose Callejon and Co.

In midfield, Riccardo Montolivo will continue in his regista role while Andrea Bertolacci will probably start in the left-sided outside central midfield position. On the other side of the midfield diamond, Mihajlovic must choose between Nigel de Jong and a fit-again Juraj Kucka. The latter would be the more sensible choice as this position comes more naturally to him.

Giacomo Bonaventura will likely be given a chance to cement the trequartista role as his own, but behind which two strikers will he be playing?

Mario Balotelli appears to have usurped both Carlos Bacca and Luiz Adriano as Milan’s No. 1 strike option though, per Football Italia, he may miss out through injury, clearing the way for Bacca and Adriano to work on a strike partnership that has so far underwhelmed.

Milan’s defence may find some comfort in knowing they may not be up against Lorenzo Insigne. The vivacious winger picked up an injury during Napoli’s win over Juventus, and it was rumoured he may miss out on this Sunday’s game as a consequence.

Insigne has been one of the stars of Serie A last season, and his absence would have been a blow to Napoli, though on Tuesday his agent Antonio Ottaiano told PiuEnne via Football Italia that Insigne “could be available for the trip to Milan.”

Even if Insigne does miss out, it is hardly the end of the world for Napoli as, in Belgian livewire Dries Mertens, they have a more-than-able deputy.

He may start to the left of Higuain in a front three, looking to cut inside, while Callejon supporting on the right will provide a more direct outlet with his pace.

In midfield, Jorginho is likely to resume the deep-lying playmaker role taken up by Mirko Valdifiori in Napoli's midweek Europa League clash against Legia Warsaw. Club captain Marek Hamsik should also return on the left of Sarri’s midfield trio.

Defensively, Napoli generally have looked stronger when without the ageing Christian Maggio at right-back. Elseid Hysaj, who followed Sarri—as well as Valdifiori—from Empoli in the summer, is a younger and more reliable option in the position.

Milan (4-3-1-2): Diego Lopez; Mattia De Sciglio, Cristian Zapata, Rodrigo Ely, Luca Antonelli; Juraj Kucka, Riccardo Montolivo, Andrea Bertolacci; Giacomo Bonaventura; Luiz Adriano, Carlos Bacca

Napoli (4-3-3): Jose Reina, Elseid Hysaj, Raul Albiol, Kalidou Koulibaly, Faouzi Ghoulam; Allan, Jorginho, Marek Hamsik; Jose Callejon, Gonzalo Higuain, Dries Mertens

Players to Watch

Luiz Adriano (Milan)

Marco Luzzani/Getty Images

Assuming Mihajlovic doesn’t wish to alter his tactics, he will opt for a front two of Adriano and Bacca should Balotelli be unfit for this weekend. While Bacca has started well by hitting three league goals, Adriano has struggled for form.

The early signs were promising as he scored against Empoli in the second league fixture of the season, but since then Adriano has been unable to find the target. Not only that, but in some games—particularly the Milan derby—Adriano has missed multiple clear chances.

His pace and direct running offers Milan a good outlet on the counter-attack, and that may come in handy against Napoli; however, the ultimate test will come in front of goal. If Adriano fails to contribute in the final third again, the substitutes' bench will be calling for him once Balotelli returns.

Allan (Napoli)

A strong and hard-working central midfielder, Allan is also a good attacking outlet. Ball-winning is his primary trait, though once the ball has been won, the Brazilian loves to explode forward and commit the opposition.

His strong defensive skills are showcased by his statistics. Since joining Napoli from Udinese in the summer, he has completed 3.2 tackles per game, according to WhoScored, more than anyone bar the aforementioned Maggio, who has played less.

Allan is crucial to Napoli’s midfield as he protects the deeper-lying player (Jorginho or Valdifiori) and connects defence to attack with his energetic running.

Key Battle

Juraj Kucka vs. Marek Hamsik

Kucka showed himself to be a good team player in Milan’s derby loss to Inter. While some correctly question his technical ability, his work rate, stamina and willingness to do the dirty work are undoubted.

Per WhoScored, his 2.5 tackles per game is unrivalled by any other Rossoneri midfielder, and he will need to be at his best in this respect to help shackle his compatriot Hamsik.

Hamsik has operated on the left of Napoli’s midfield three this season, and his link-up play with Insigne and/or Mertens is a key component in their team’s fluid attacking style.

Odds

Milan: 7/5

Napoli: 9/5

Via Odds Shark