AC Milan put in undoubtedly their best performance of the season right when they needed it most as they beat runaway league leaders Napoli 4-0.
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The first half showing was what set the tone as Rafael Leao opened the scoring with a delightful chip after some excellent work from Brahim Diaz, and the Spaniard got his name on the scoresheet with a finish from close range.
Two more goals came in the second half as Leao got his second of the night after a lovely dribble and powerful shot that almost went through Meret, and then Alexis Saelemaekers got a goal off the bench after a Messi-esque dribble.
The result is absolutely huge in the scheme of Milan’s season given the poor form leading up to the game, and with Roma, Lazio, Juventus and Atalanta all winning it was imperative to produce a response that was emphatic.
Stefano Pioli chose to make some big changes to the starting line-up as he reverted to a four-man defence, with Davide Calabria coming in at right-back and Simon Kjaer partnering Fikayo Tomori with Malick Thiaw benched and Pierre Kalulu injured. Brahim Diaz started on the right side of the attack and Rade Krunic was the playmaker.
The first big chance of the night went to Milan as they made early inroads down the left side. Theo Hernandez sprinted to the byline and cut the ball back to Brahim Diaz, whose first time shot from just behind the penalty spot was saved by Meret.
The home side hit back with a chance of their own as Zielinski angled a low ball into the box where Simeone had got ahead of Tomori with a run, but his left-footed shot blazed over the bar.
In the 17th minute, it was Milan who took the lead thanks to a brilliant bit of work on the right side by Brahim Diaz. The Spaniard beat his man right on the touchline with an excellent dribble and put Leao through on goal, with the Portuguese winger ending his goal drought with a lovely dinked finish.
Eight minutes after the opening goal, Milan were in dreamland as they doubled their advantage. An attack down the left side again saw Bennacer cross for Giroud who glanced it into the path of Brahim Diaz who took a touch, evaded Mario Rui’s challenge and finished via a deflection.
Napoli began their mission to get back into the game, and Maignan made his first real save of the night to thwart a shot from distance by Lobotka that bounced right in front of him.
Brahim Diaz was having one of those nights where everything seemed to be falling for him, and he forced a fingertip save from Meret with Napoli players fuming after Politano went down after an arm in the face from Leao.
The final chance of the first half went to the Partenopei as Kvaratskhelia ran down Milan’s right on the counter and cut back to Zielinski after a nice dummy from the referee, though the Pole saw his shot parried by Maignan.
Milan nearly made it 3-0 five minutes into the second half as they worked a counter-attack down the left side that saw Giroud found in space inside the box, yet he dragged his effort just wide of the far post when it seemed destined to nestle in.
Maignan went down holding his face just before the hour mark after a shot from Mario Rui deep inside the box caught him right on the nose, and moments later Alexis Saelemaekers came on for Brahim Diaz in the first change.
Right on the hour mark, Milan got their third goal and Leao got his second of the night. Tonali won the ball back in midfield and found the Portuguese wide on the left, and he dragged the ball back onto his left foot before firing past Meret with a venomous hit.
The travelling support could hardly believe their eyes in the 67th minute when Saelemaekers picked up the ball around 25 yards out and began a weaving run into the box that saw him get past three defenders before finishing under Meret to make it 4-0.
Milan nearly got caught with too many men forward as a corner was cleared and Napoli launched a threatening counter that saw Raspadori beat Calabria to get in behind, but he dragged his shot wide when the square was possibly on.
Saelemaekers was playing like a man possessed and he wasn’t far from adding a fifth goal for Milan with a rocket of a shot from the edge of the box that Meret saved. Shortly prior to that, Divock Origi, Tiemoue Bakayoko and Charles De Ketelaere came on.
