Napoli took control in the first half, striking twice to put the pressure on the Rossoneri. Lukaku opened the scoring with a clinical finish, and Kvaratskhelia soon doubled the lead, sending Napoli into the break with a strong advantage. Despite Milan’s attempts to claw their way back, they were unable to find a breakthrough.
The second half kicked off with high drama as Milan nearly cut the deficit just a minute after the restart. Alvaro Morata’s well-placed header found the back of the net, but VAR intervened, ruling the goal offside and denying Milan a chance to get back into the game. Milan pushed forward, creating a 0.65 expected goals (xG) total, but efforts from Morata, Rafael Leao, and Christian Pulisic were expertly stopped by Napoli goalkeeper Alex Meret.
Napoli, managed by Antonio Conte, remained dangerous on the counter, generating 1.14 xG as they pursued a third goal. Although attempts from Lukaku, Scott McTominay, and Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa went astray, their first-half performance proved decisive.
The loss leaves AC Milan in eighth place with 14 points, missing a valuable chance to re-enter the top four. Meanwhile, Napoli’s fifth consecutive victory puts them at 25 points after just 10 games, solidifying their status as Serie A’s pacesetters and strengthening their pursuit of the Scudetto.
As Napoli fans celebrate their team’s ascent, AC Milan will need to regroup and refocus as they aim to regain ground in the league standings.
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