Napoli vs AC Milan, probable lineups
AC Milan will face Napoli at the Maradona Stadium tonight with coach Pioli still looking for his first win against Spalletti.
Napoli vs Milan will be the big match of Serie A week 28. A direct encounter between two clubs that aim to win the Scudetto this season and are currently in second place with 57 points each. The Rossoneri have failed to win in the last three matches while the Partenopei were victorious in the first leg.
Napoli vs Milan is not important only for the Scudetto hopes of the Red and Blacks but also for Stefano Pioli on a personal level. The AC Milan coach has never won against his colleague Luciano Spalletti. For the match against Napoli, Pioli will have again under his orders Tonali and Ibrahimovic while Romagnoli is injured.
Pierre Kalulu will replace the Italian captain alongside Fiakyo Tomori. Theo Hernandez will play on the left with Davide Calabria completing the back four. As always, Mike Maignan between the posts.
Pioli will make an important change in midfielder. Sandro Tonali and Ismael Bennacer will form the central duo. Franck Kessie will be moved up front in the attacking midfielder role. The experiment resulted a total failure when first tried but Pioli will repeat it with the hope of better results.
Junior Messias is in advantage over Saelemaekers to play on the right wing with Rafael Leao on the opposite flank. Despite the availability of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, it will be Olivier Giroud to lead the attack. The French striker is still looking for his first goal away from San Siro.
NAPOLI Probable XI (4-2-3-1): Ospina, Mario Rui. Koulibaly, Rrahmani, Di Lorenzo, Fabian Ruiz, Lobotka, Zielinski, Politano, Insigne, Osimhen.
AC MILAN Probable XI (4-2-3-1): Maignan, Calabria, Kalulu, Tomori, Theo Hernandez, Tonali, Bennacer, Kessie, Leao, Messias, Giroud.
READ MORE: BBC confirm AC Milan’s first summer signing