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AC Milan’s Supercoppa Italiana defence was ended at the first obstacle as they were beaten 2-0 by Napoli in Saudi Arabia.
As La Gazzetta dello Sport (seen below) write this morning, it’s difficult for a team to survive without backbone, and that was the case for Milan last night. Massimiliano Allegri was without his centre-back, regista and centre-forward for the semi-final against Napoli.
Matteo Gabbia’s injury has forced a disastrous Koni De Winter to play, Luka Modric was rested for Ardon Jashari, and Rafael Leao was not risked so the disappointing Christopher Nkunku once again had to lead the line.
Add to this a Christian Pulisic who appeared without the superpowers he had in the last Super Cup, and we get a deflated Milan who were in the end rather easily eliminated. Following the premature exit from the Coppa Italia, a second objective vanished, not the best way to approach Christmas.
Now all the energy is focused on the league, knowing however how much resting Modric can cost. As The season progresses, at 40 years of age, he’ll need it more and more often, even with a clear schedule.
The significant shortcomings of last season’s transfer window are evident, too. Not bringing home a top-tier central defender and a centre-forward, ready to perform instantly, was a crime on the part of the management.
De Winter has talent and potential, but he’s not ready to be a Milan starter At 23, Hojlund, one year younger, looked like a 30-year-old centre-forward: he dragged him around the entire match, getting a goal and an assist, until Allegri was forced to bring the Belgian off.
Hojlund, indeed, was the target the Rossoneri missed. His excellent performance, in comparison, made Nkunku’s insignificance even more paltry. Can a 32-two-year-old Fullkrug, the star of a lacklustre season thus far, be enough to revolutionise the situation?
Massimiliano Allegri’s nervousness stems from an awareness of the problems that await him, and there was even an altercation towards the end of the game with the Napoi.
Napoli rediscovered
It wasn’t just Hojlund, named man of the match, and Neres, who scored the 2-0 win. Conte has rediscovered the Napoli he was looking for, fierce in their defensive focus and ruthless in their reading of the game: they struck when they had to, without ever struggling too much.
Politano made a fine return, Spinazzola did well in setting up the two goals and Lobotka provided a masterclass in teaching the timid Jashari. Napoli return to the Supercoppa final, a first since 2023. That year, Mazzarri’s last three defeats were Real Madrid, Juve, and Inter.
In addition to Modric, Allegri also rested Bartesaghi, and Estupinan did not have the same impact. For the first time this season, Milan were without Italians. The first half was a poor one, slow and stagnant, resolved by an incident: Maignan tipped a Hojlund cross into the path of Neres.
In general, Napoli were on the front foot, as the numbers show: 3-1 shots on target, 5-1 corners. Conte occasionally suffered from the counter-attack, while Allegri confirmed his unwavering faith in the low block.
Even in the second minute, Elmas explored Maignan’s gloves, but it was the Rossoneri who created the first real danger: a Pavlovic overhead kick freed Loftus-Cheek, who was two steps away from Milinkovic-Savic but the Serbian saved well.
The Azzurri continued their attack, coming close to scoring twice in 10 minutes through Elmas and McTomiany. Milan preferred to wait for a counter, which seemed to work in the 37th minute when Saelemaekers escaped but Nkunku fired over the bar.
The gap between the two strikers made the difference. In the 39th minute, Hojlund received a through ball from Spinazzola, kept De Winter behind him, turned and set up Neres’ tap-in. The timid De Winter, who had allowed Pinamonti to pass on Sunday, never got there before the Dane.
Napoli always found their striker and were happy to lean on him. Milan, on the other hand, never found Nkunku. The complicated save that Hojlund forced on Maignan in the 46th minute legitimised the lead.
Lessons not learned
In the second half, Milan were forced to change their plan. They shifted the lines forward, with Loftus-Cheek especially stepping up to give consistency to an attack that had yet to receive anything from Pulisic, the hero of the last Supercoppa.
The competitive face-off between McTominay and Loftus-Cheek was a fine battle. Napoli absorbed the ball, scaring Maignan with Rrahmani in the 54th minute and doubling their lead in the 64th. Spinazzola provided another deep pass, but De Winter was still unwatchable, escorting Hojlund into the box and letting him shoot.
The final thrill for the Arab spectators who had cheered Milan en masse was Modric’s introduction on the half-hour mark for the disoriented Jashari, but the horse had already escaped the barn. Conte calmly guided the victory to fruition.
The last Milan man to go down fighting was Allegri, who had a nasty argument with Oriali, a former Inter player. The only derby that will take place this time in Riyadh.
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