Napoli vs Milan: who will reach the Italian Super Cup final?
In the semi-final of the Italian Super Cup, Napoli will face Milan. The clash will take place on Thursday, 18 December, with kick-off scheduled for 20:00 CET. I am offering a betting pick for this encounter.
Napoli vs Milan: match facts and head-to-head
- Napoli have lost their last two matches.
- Milan have suffered just one defeat in their last ten games.
- Napoli have failed to score in their previous two outings.
- Milan have conceded at least one goal in three consecutive matches.
- Milan have kept clean sheets in 44% of their games this season, compared to 23% for Napoli.
- Only 6% of Milan’s matches this season have ended in defeat without scoring, while Napoli stand at 23%.
- Both teams score in both halves in one third of their matches.
- Milan defeated Napoli 2–1 in the most recent head-to-head meeting.
Napoli vs Milan: match preview
Napoli were crowned Italian champions last season and will now look to add another trophy under Antonio Conte. The Neapolitans have not lifted this trophy for a long time, last winning it in 2014 when they edged Juventus 3–2. This season, the team continue to push in the title race. Napoli sit third in the standings with 31 points after 15 rounds, trailing the leaders by just two points, meaning the battle for the Serie A crown is still wide open.
Milan occupy second place in the Serie A table. The Rossoneri have collected 32 points from the same 15 matches, one more than Napoli and one fewer than Inter, who currently lead the league. Milan are competing in the Italian Super Cup thanks to reaching the Coppa Italia final last season, where they fell short, losing 0–1 to Bologna. Milan are also the reigning Super Cup holders. In the previous campaign, they defeated Juventus 2–1 and then overcame Inter 3–2 in the final.
Probable line-ups
- Napoli: Milinkovic-Savic; Beukema, Rrahmani, Buongiorno; Di Lorenzo, Lobotka, McTominay, Gutierrez; Lang, Neres; Hojlund
- Milan: Maignan; De Winter, Tomori, Pavlovic; Saelemaekers, Loftus-Cheek, Modric, Rabiot, Bartesaghi; Pulisic, Nkunku
Prediction
This is a showdown between two evenly matched and high-quality sides, battling for a place in the Super Cup final. However, I expect a low-scoring contest, given the importance of the occasion and the tactical approach of both managers. My pick is total goals under 2.5.
