In beating Napoli 1-0 in their Champions League quarterfinal first leg at the San Siro, Milan exemplified all the UCL cliché's that Real Madrid have entirely owned and turned into bonafide pieces of wisdom over the last decade. Hell, Milan even used a Real Madrid loanee to get it done.
Cliché No. 1, you need to be street wise — basically you need to be in the mold of Theo Hernández.
Theo Hernandez is not messing around. pic.twitter.com/p3ga9PMVgJ
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) April 12, 2023
Napoli wasn't that. They had André-Frank Zambo getting sent off with two yellow cards in four second-half minutes before Kim Min-jae was booked for dissent and also ruled out of the return leg for accumulation.
Another part of the equation is being brutally clinical with any chance you get. Napoli could've been up 2-0 in the first five minutes but ultimately never found a way past Mike Maignan despite attempting 16 shots (six on target).
Napoli ALMOST score! pic.twitter.com/UGU4XvAlvd
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) April 12, 2023
Milan, on the other hand, made the most of their only shot on target until late in the game.
It was all started by the brilliant play of Milan's No. 10, Brahim Díaz. The 23-year-old is enjoying his third season on loan at the club from Real Madrid, and it's clear that you can take the boy out of the Bernabéu but you can't take the Bernabéu out of the boy.
Real reportedly want to bring him home in the summer, but this was a moment for the San Siro to celebrate.
With two quick touches Díaz broke Napoli's high press and drove through midfield before playing it out wide to Rafael Leão. The Portuguese winger's return ball was then touched by Díaz into the path of Ismaël Bennacer for the rifled finish.
⚫ ¡Gooooool del Milan! ⚫
⚫ ¡Gooooool del Milan! ⚫Contragolpe letal de Bennacer y se abre la llave ⚽@acmilan 1-0 @sscnapoli
EN VIVO: https://t.co/rlXWTyVTef
ViX#TuChampions | #UCL | #MilanNapoli pic.twitter.com/T94uvXUFGC— Zona TUDN (@Zona_TUDN) April 12, 2023
It's a perfect result for Milan — they're clearly in their opponents' heads after also beating them 4-0 in league play on Apr. 2 — but I guarantee Napoli will find at least one at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.
The return leg on Tuesday, Apr. 18, is going to be frantic.
