Napoli vs. AC Milan: Napoli Sends a Statement with Dominant Win

Napoli didn't just beat defending Serie A champions AC Milan, they dominated. And in the process they sent a message that they are ready to knock Milan from their perch.

Edinson Cavani was brilliant as he poured in a hat trick as he provided all the scoring for Napoli in this contest.

All of those goals came unanswered as Milan was in control of this match early. Alberto Aquilani opened up the scoring in this contest with a goal in the 12th minute for Milan.

In those opening 12 minutes, Milan was dominant. They controlled possession and were the clear aggressors. That came to an abrupt end after the goal.

That is when Cavani took over. He quickly answered with a goal in the 13th minute to level the match. Napoli took over the match from there and did not relent.

Napoli's 3-4-2-1 system began to confound Milan. Milan tried to control possession, but could do very little with it. Napoli's defense began to wear Milan down, and they created more chances for themselves as the match wore on.

Cavini added another goal in the 36th minute and Napoli took a 2-1 lead into halftime.

Cavani had more work to do. He sealed this match with a goal in the 51st minute, and at that point, this match was all but over.

This is a huge early Serie A win for Napoli. They have shown that they are serious contenders.