Milan vs Napoli, for the Champions League: the first chapter of a new duel between the north and the south of Italy

Milan

and

will face each other for the first time in

, to guide the pass to the semifinals in what will be a duel between the historic past of a seven-time champion of the highest continental competition and the promising future Neapolitan, who debuts

with the sure to be one of the biggest revelations.

By Fox Sports.

Being a clash between two Italian teams, the battle is even.

They know each other from the domestic championship and the surprise that Napoli could give is overshadowed by a Milan that comes into contention with the incentive of the most recent meeting between the two, a 4-0 in favor

that destabilized the foundations of the Neapolitans by time that relaunched the milanista confidence.

But despite the painful defeat conceded to Diego Armando Maradona,

that has governed from the beginning and that is only waiting for mathematics to travel to the southern city, in what will be the third 'Scudetto' of the 'azzurri'.

However, in addition to the possible vertigo that debuting in the quarterfinals can give, Luciano Spalletti's Napoli arrives somewhat diminished in the duel.

And it is that the doubts center on the offensive, with the Nigerian Victor Osimhen and the Italian Giacomo Raspadori between cottons;

and with

.

The rest of the players are available, although it should be noted that the South Korean Kim Min-Jae, leader of the center of the rear, is alert and in case of seeing a yellow card he would not play the decisive round at the Maradona.

The condition of the forward could vary the usual scheme of the Italian coach, placing the Georgian Khvicha Kvaratskhelia as a reference, something that undoubtedly leaves without the sharp fang provided by the Nigerian striker, capable of unblocking the most closed games.

Something that would surely serve them against a Milan whose main asset will be the construction of the game

, the one that took them to the top of Italy last season and that in this season they have only brought out in the Champions League, in important games like the round of 16 against Tottenham.

The victory against Napoli was followed by a goalless draw against the modest Empoli that once again revealed a poor version of the team led by the Italian Stefano Pioli.

But

and hearing the hymn again in a Giuseppe Meazza excited to feel great again will be enough motivation for a Milan that will return to the defense of four, with the French Theo Hernández as a winger deep, accompanying the Portuguese Rafael Leao in attack, the most dangerous piece in the Milan offensive.

In the center of the field, the Italian Sandro Tonali and the Algerian Ismael Bennacer will be in charge of stopping the trident of Naples, formed by the Slovakian Stanislav Lobotka, the Polish Piotr Zielinski and the Cameroonian Zambo Anguissa.

Upstairs, accompanying Leao, the Spanish Brahim Díaz will be safe, seated in the starting eleven and assuming stripes to pull the car in difficult moments, and the Frenchman Olivier Giroud as a pure nine.

The Swede Ibrahimovic was not registered in the list for the Champions League, so he will not be able to have minutes.

The Champions League, after several years away,

with a semifinal at stake between a Milan and a Napoli that have taken almost antagonistic paths during the season, but that are measured in a battle of equals in the that everything is open.

look also

Lautaro Martínez had a discreet game but Inter took a key advantage against Benfica, without Otamendi

City had no mercy on Bayern Munich and, with a moment from Julián Álvarez, thrashed him for the Champions League