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Horse Racing AC Milan vs Napoli Prediction: Team News and Lineups Preview
San Siro will once again be the theatre of Serie A’s big match this weekend, and we’ve prepared AC Milan vs Napoli prediction, team news, standings, and lineups preview.
It was nerve-wracking for both the Rossoneri and last year’s champions in matchday 23 as they both needed a late comeback to win their respective games.
AC Milan firmly occupy the third spot in the table, whereas Napoli are four points behind Atalanta. The reverse fixture ended 2-2, so are we in for another classic? Let’s find out what our Italian Football expert, Daniele Fisichella, thinks.
AC Milan vs Napoli Team News, Standings and Lineups Preview
- AC Milan vs Napoli Tip 1: Both Teams To Score In the Second Half – Yes
- AC Milan vs Napoli Tip 2: Under 1 Goal In The First Half
- AC Milan vs Napoli Tip 3: AC Milan To Score Over 1 Goals
In this article:
- AC Milan vs Napoli Team News
- The Predicted Serie A Table
- AC Milan vs Napoli Stats Preview
- How to watch AC Milan vs Napoli
- Safer Gambling
AC Milan vs Napoli Tip 1: Super-subs to the rescue again?
Italy, Serie A, Sunday, February 11th, 19:45 (UK)
No other team in Serie A has scored more goals than AC Milan since the beginning of December (25). Last Saturday at Frosinone, the Rossoneri confirmed they’re extremely inspired up front. In fact, for the 10th consecutive league match, they’ve netted at least two goals.
Stefano Pioli’s mean unbeaten streak continues (eight games in Italy’s top flight), but the 3-2 win at the Benito Stirpe resembled their victory at Udinese two weeks ago.
AC Milan scored early (thanks to Olivier Giroud’s 11th of the campaign), took their foot off
the gas and conceded two against Frosinone.
Once again, when they had their backs against the wall, AC Milan managed to react like a top side: Giroud provided his eight assist of the season for Gabbia’s equalizer, and Luka Jovic scored his fourth goal coming from the bench.
The Rossoneri have made a habit of living dangerously, and so far, things have gone their way, but they haven’t kept a clean sheet in six of the last seven in all competitions, and goalkeeper Mike Maignan has been at fault for at least a couple of goals conceded recently.
- AC Milan vs Napoli Tip 1: Both Teams To Score In The Second Half – Yes (TRACKED BET)
- Best Odds: 3.00
- Bookmaker: bet365
- Stake: 2/10
AC Milan vs Napoli Tip 2: The champions are still not clicking
If the hosts, who have the league’s second-best attack (only five goals less than leaders Inter), look like they can score anytime, the same can’t be said about Napoli.
The Scudetto holders had to sweat to get the better of Verona last Sunday: they huffed and puffed in the first half, and after going behind, they needed an own-goal and a wonder strike by Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to get the three points.
The Georgian scored his sixth goal of the campaign, the first since mid-December, and looked really inspired after returning from his one-match suspension.
It was a great morale boost for Walter Mazzari’s side, although Napoli hasn’t yet produced a fully convincing display, full of fluid attacking moves since the former Watford manager took over from Rudi Garcia.
After the drab 0-0 draw at the Olimpico against Lazio two weeks ago, when they failed to record a single shot on target, this game on Sunday will tell if the Partenopei can really challenge to finish in the top four.
They’ve only scored in four of their last 11 games in all competitions, so the chances of a 0-0 draw in the first half are high. But the good news is that Victor Osimhen’s return is not too far away.
- AC Milan vs Napoli Tip 2: Under 1 Goal In The First Half (TRACKED BET)
- Best Odds: 2.10
- Bookmaker: bet365
- Stake: 4/10
AC Milan vs Napoli Tip 3: Leao could fill his boots
Given the importance of the match, Mazzarri might initially opt for the cautious approach and play with three centre-backs and two wing-backs as he did against Inter in the SuperCoppa and Lazio.
Against Verona, the initial 4-3-3 formation did not work, and it was thanks to the introductions of Mazzocchi, Lindstrom and Ngonge that Napoli produced more scoring opportunities from wide areas.
It’s probably on both wings that the game is going to be won or lost, as AC Milan’s main threat remains the combination on their left-hand side between Theo Hernandez and Rafael Leao (two goals and three assists in the last seven games).
As long as the game stays 0-0, the scenario will suit Napoli, who, at the moment, are better set up to play on the counter. They’re also the team, alongside Genoa, who have rescued more points this season in Serie A from a losing position.
However, the visitors are the ones who need the three points the most.
Napoli have collected more points away from home than at the Maradona, but AC Milan have only conceded seven at San Siro.
Napoli, on the other hand, have only kept six clean sheets and have massively struggled against top sides: they’ve only won one (2-1 against Atalanta) of the ten games they’ve played against teams in the top half of the table.
- AC Milan vs Napoli Tip 3: AC Milan To Score Over 1 Goals (TRACKED BET)
- Best Odds: 1.83
- Bookmaker: bet365
- Stake: 4/10
AC Milan vs Napoli Prediction odds via bet365 as at 10:30, February 5th, 2024. Odds may now differ.
AC Milan vs Napoli Team News and Lineups Preview: hosts are without their Dutch playmaker
AC Milan will be without Reijnders, who picked up a yellow card against Frosinone and is suspended. Bennacer, freshly returned from AFCON, will be in the starting lineup alongside Adli in place of the Dutchman. Given the high number of absentees (including four centre-backs, Caldara, Kalulu, Thiaw and Tomori), it’s unlikely Stefano Pioli will employ much turnover even if the Rossoneri hosts Rennes next Thursday in the first leg of the Europa League play-offs.
In the visitors’ camp, left-back Mario Rui is also suspended and will probably be replaced by Pasquale Mazzocchi in the starting lineup, although he’s right-footed, because the Portuguese natural replacement, Oliveira, will also miss the game due to injury.
Goalkeeper Meret won’t be back until the end of this month, and Polish International Zielinski is a doubt for the match at San Siro.
Last year’s top goal scorer, Victor Osimhen, is still at the AFCON, and up-front Cyril Ngonge is in contention with Matteo Politano for a start.
The Predicted AC Milan vs Napoli Serie A Standings by BETSiE
Our in-house predictive model, BETSiE, has had a go at predicting the Serie A standings ahead of the AC Milan vs Napoli, currently 3rd vs 7th, fixture by utilising the underlying data from the 2023/24 season up until this point.
For more league-specific BETSiE content including standings, probabilities and predictions, visit her page here – it’s worth it.
AC Milan vs Napoli Standings
| POSITION | CLUB | GAMES | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Inter | 38 | 28.2 | 6.3 | 3.5 | 86.5 | 24.5 | 62.1 | 90.9 |
| 2 | Juventus | 38 | 25.3 | 8.9 | 3.8 | 61.7 | 24.2 | 37.5 | 84.9 |
| 3 | AC Milan | 38 | 21.4 | 7.7 | 8.9 | 69.8 | 45.6 | 24.2 | 71.9 |
| 4 | Atalanta | 38 | 18.6 | 7.2 | 12.2 | 62.1 | 40.6 | 21.5 | 63.1 |
| 5 | Napoli | 38 | 17.9 | 8.9 | 11.2 | 59.7 | 43.8 | 15.9 | 62.5 |
| 6 | Lazio | 38 | 17.4 | 8.8 | 11.9 | 45.2 | 36.0 | 9.2 | 60.8 |
| 7 | AS Roma | 38 | 16.8 | 9.3 | 11.9 | 56.9 | 43.1 | 13.9 | 59.6 |
| 8 | Bologna | 38 | 14.9 | 13.7 | 9.5 | 46.0 | 37.8 | 8.2 | 58.3 |
| 9 | Fiorentina | 38 | 16.3 | 8.3 | 13.4 | 51.4 | 44.7 | 6.7 | 57.1 |
| 10 | Torino | 38 | 14.1 | 11.8 | 12.2 | 38.7 | 37.9 | 0.8 | 54.0 |
| 11 | Genoa | 38 | 11.7 | 11.6 | 14.7 | 38.8 | 44.8 | -6.0 | 46.8 |
| 12 | Monza | 38 | 11.4 | 11.0 | 15.6 | 38.6 | 52.6 | -14.0 | 45.3 |
| 13 | Frosinone | 38 | 10.6 | 8.7 | 18.7 | 48.9 | 68.3 | -19.4 | 40.6 |
| 14 | Sassuolo | 38 | 10.6 | 8.1 | 19.4 | 48.0 | 63.1 | -15.2 | 39.8 |
| 15 | Lecce | 38 | 8.5 | 12.7 | 16.7 | 40.4 | 58.1 | -17.7 | 38.4 |
| 16 | Udinese | 38 | 7.3 | 16.0 | 14.7 | 42.6 | 59.5 | -16.9 | 38.0 |
| 17 | Cagliari | 38 | 8.8 | 9.7 | 19.6 | 41.0 | 64.8 | -23.9 | 36.0 |
| 18 | Verona | 38 | 8.4 | 10.2 | 19.4 | 35.8 | 52.6 | -16.7 | 35.3 |
| 19 | Empoli | 38 | 8.3 | 9.1 | 20.6 | 30.9 | 59.4 | -28.4 | 34.0 |
| 20 | Salernitana | 38 | 4.9 | 9.4 | 23.7 | 33.2 | 74.9 | -41.7 | 24.1 |
AC Milan vs Napoli Stats Preview: Goals incoming?
- 13 out of 23 (57% AC Milan Serie A matches this season have produced more than two goals with both teams on the scoresheet.
- Both sides are in the top four in Italy for Over 2.5 goals during their matches: Milan 15 out of 23 games (65%) and Napoli 14 out of 22 (64%).
- The Rossoneri are unbeaten in the last four games against Napoli.
- The Partenopei have won three of their last four games played against AC Milan at San Siro.
How To Watch
- AC Milan vs Napoli, Serie A.
- Date and Time: Sunday, February 11th, 19:45 (UK)
- How to Watch or Stream on TV (UK): TNT Sports
SAFER GAMBLING
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