Milan secured another win against Napoli, this time with a 1-0 victory at San Siro, despite being dominated in the opening minutes.

Napoli dominated the first few minutes of the match but could not find the net with their star striker, Victor Osimhen, out injured and Milan punished them for not converting their chances.

Stefano Pioli’s team made a statement after their recent 4-0 thumping of the Italian league leaders, showing they know how to break down Luciano Spalletti’s side.

Even without the injured Victor Osimhen, Napoli looked threatening early on, with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Piotr Zieliński testing Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan. However, the hosts struggled to find their rhythm, and Rafael Leão came close to opening the scoring against the run of play.

The breakthrough came unexpectedly as Ismaël Bennacer’s powerful shot proved too much for Napoli goalkeeper Alex Meret, giving Milan a 1-0 lead with a rocking stadium behind them. Brahim Diaz’s run and turn were instrumental in the build-up, and Milan could have doubled their lead just before half-time, but Simon Kjær’s effort hit the crossbar.

Napoli pushed for an equalizer in the second half, but efforts from Elias Elmas and Giovanni Di Lorenzo fell short, leaving them puzzled. Frustrations flared for both teams in the final 20 minutes, and Napoli’s André-Frank Zambo Anguissa received two quick yellow cards, leaving them with 10 men on the field.

Despite Milan’s advantage, neither team found the net again, with Milan even calling for a late penalty. As they head into the second leg, Milan holds the advantage, but it’s still all to play for in this European clash.

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