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Upstaged by the AC Milan man on April 2, the Georgian could strike back at San Siro in the second of three meetings this month.
“Rafa never left,” Stefano Pioli asserted after Rafael Leao outshone Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in AC Milan’s unexpected 4-0 annihilation of Napoli at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona at the start of the month.
The Serie A encounter earmarked the changing of the guard in Italy’s top flight. Yet, the incumbent Most Valuable Player had the game’s decisive impact in Naples.
Leao scored twice against the Partenopei to inflict the team’s heaviest defeat under Luciano Spalletti, racing unto the equally impressive Brahim Diaz’s through-ball and dinking over the committed Alex Meret to open the scoring and was magical as if stardust was sprinkled on his boots to make it three on the night.
It was already 4-0 when the Portugal international was withdrawn with 15 minutes to play, having ended a 12-game run for club and country without scoring since mid-January, with a statement performance against the best side in the country and one they are to face three times in April.
Interestingly, Kvaratskhelia did not have an awful individual outing by the metrics. He was involved in seven shot-creating actions, completed five of eight dribble attempts and fashioned four shooting opportunities for his beaten teammates in 90 minutes.
Leao did not get 90 minutes, but a comparison showed he contributed to one fewer shot-creating action, could complete just a sole take-on at the Maradona and registered one key pass. However, he got all the plaudits at the end of the game.
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14:52 - 04.04.2023
SERIE A Team of week 28: Leao destroys Milan, Dybala and Wijnaldum also shine
Following every round of Serie A fixtures, Pulse Sports presents the most impressive performers of the matchday.
It was a surprising result given that the Rossoneri had lost four of their preceding five away games in Serie A, with the defeat by Udinese before the international break — against opponents that were winless on their turf since September 2022 — provoking calls for Pioli’s head.
The Milan boss relished the Rossoneri’s underdog tag before the game, and the 57-year-old surprised the Partenopei by reverting to a back four (although he hinted as much after that loss in Udine) and taking advantage of the spaces the home side left in behind their defence to stun the Maradona.
Leao twice benefited from the Serie A champions-elect’s defensive set-up, but you fear Milan have lost the element of surprise, with Pioli stating after that game that Napoli “are difficult to face with three at the back.”
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Wednesday night’s game in Milan will be different: the Rossoneri, despite their history as seven-time European Cup winners, are inexperienced at this level in the recent past, evidenced by the fact that this would be their first Champions League quarter-final appearance since 2012.
Do not dare suggest that to Spalletti, who has not missed the opportunity to tag Milan as favourites for a semi-final berth.
In a sense, his slant is understood. Napoli have never made it this far in Europe’s premier club competition, with the Round of 16 proving to be their limit until this campaign.
Not even Diego Maradona could inspire the Azzurri in 1987-88 — when they were eliminated by Real Madrid in the first round — or 90-91 — when Spartak Moscow got the better of the Italian side on penalties in the second round — despite entering Europe in both campaigns as the defending Scudetto champions.
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This iteration of Napoli are different gravy. They are the competition's top scorers and a dead rubber defeat by Liverpool in the group stage remains their only blemish in Europe in 2022-23.
Kvara leads the way for assists (four), jointly with Lionel Messi, Joao Cancelo, Leon Goretzka and Diogo Jota, while his non-penalty shots (30) and take-ons completed (49) outdoes his Azzurri colleagues.
According to Opta, Kvaratskhelia’s 15 shots taken after carrying the ball five metres or more is a Champions League-high this term, and chances created (five) after a ball carry outranks every player in Europe’s most prestigious competition.
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After successive gameweeks for Kvara in Serie A without scoring or assisting, a return to being decisive will be timely in this all-Italian quarter-final, where the last six league meetings have been won by the away side.
The Georgian already made a striking impact at San Siro earlier this season, winning a penalty that was subsequently converted by Mateo Politano to put the Partenopei 1-0 up in the eventual 2-1 win.
Leao was absent through suspension, but the Milan forward is expected to feature from the off on Wednesday, barring any late misfortune.
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“Rafa will be a champion because he is an intelligent young man,” said Pioli after the triumph in Naples.
The second instalment of the face-off between Serie A’s outgoing MVP and possibly this year’s best player is upon us.
The outcome may be uncertain, but there is one guarantee: it will be all shades of fun.
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13:45 - 03.04.2023
Leao speaks on Milan’s win against Napoli, their Champions League game and Kvaratskhelia performance
AC Milan trashed Napoli 4-0 at Diego Armando Maradona Stadium on Sunday with Leao claiming two goals for himself.
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