AC Milan vs Napoli prediction: ITALY: Serie A betting tips on match 2022-09-17 18:45.
Things are looking rosy for AC Milan of late, as they sit top of their UEFA Champions League (UCL) group after a 3-1 victory over Dinamo Zagreb during midweek, and are also part of a three-way tie for the lead atop Serie A (SA) ahead of the round. With boss Stefano Pioli stating after their midweek win that the “UCL and SA are not too different”, achieving a similar result against Napoli, one of the sides Milan are tied on 14 points with, may be at the forefront of Pioli’s mind.
It likely won’t be as straightforward for Milan, but with the Rossoneri unbeaten in their last 22 SA games (W15, D7) and aided by six successive home league victories, maybe Milan are confident of replicating that UCL result. You’d have to go back to 2013 to find Milan’s last winning run that was longer than the six they currently boast, but they will be all too aware it was actually Napoli who halted that eight-match run with a 1-1 draw!
This game has the makings of a real humdinger of an affair, with Napoli themselves arriving on the back of an emphatic UCL victory over Rangers (3-0). It remains to be seen whether extra mileage will take its toll on the side from Naples, but they have been happy travellers in SA this season, clocking up seven points from their opening three away league games (W2, D1).
After Luciano Spaletti’s rather strange remark about the famous Ibrox atmosphere, likening it to “being in a toaster”, Napoli will again undoubtedly be feeling much heat at the San Siro come Sunday. It may take Napoli time to accustom themselves to what will likely be a raucous home crowd, but even if some early jitters sees them fall behind, their impressive six-point haul from losing positions in SA this season should instil belief of a turnaround.
Players to watch: Milan’s Rafael Leão loves home comforts, with his last 12 goals coming at the San Siro, eight of which opened the scoring. Meanwhile, Napoli’s Giacomo Raspadori has seen his last four away goals either arrive in the first, or last ten minutes of the game.
Hot stat: Napoli’s one second-half SA goal conceded this season is a joint league-low ahead of the round.