Azzurri fall: Allegri halts Conte’s run after frantic first half | OneFootball

The Azzurri’s assault comes too late and crashes against the crossbar and a brilliant Maignan. The final score is 2-1: Milan wins the big match against Napoli and joins the Partenopei at the top of the table (sharing the lead with Gasperini’s Roma).

First Azzurri defeat, Allegri ends Conte’s winning streak after a frantic first half

The big match of the 5th matchday goes to Milan. The Rossoneri dominate the first half with goals from Saelemaekers and Pulisic. In the second half, De Bruyne reopens the game with a penalty, during which Estupiñan is sent off, but Napoli’s comeback stops halfway. Allegri catches up with Conte in the standings at 12 points.

Milan-Napoli is never just another game. On the fifth matchday of the league, San Siro hosts a clash that already smells of the Scudetto. Massimiliano Allegri and Antonio Conte, two of the most successful coaches in recent Italian football history, face off in a duel that goes beyond the usual clichés. No longer just the “defensive one” against the “purist,” but two managers capable of adapting, evolving, and surprising.

The new Allegri-led Milan doesn’t limit itself to traditional defensive solidity. The Rossoneri have shown significant progress in ball management, with an increasingly refined balance between defense and attack. For years identified with the 3-5-2 and rigid attacking schemes, Antonio Conte has shown he has broadened his tactical range. After his experience in the Premier League, the coach from Salento has chosen the path of pragmatism and evolution. The duel between Milan and Napoli best represents modern football: no fixed recipe, but constant adaptation. The prejudices—Allegri as a die-hard defender, Conte as dogmatic—are now outdated. Today, both show that the balance between organization and creativity is the only real secret. As Guardiola also demonstrates in the Premier League, there are no immutable schemes: today’s football rewards those who know how to change their skin.

No surprises at the start for Allegri, who confirms the 3-5-2 with Pulisic and Gimenez up front, supported by Modric, Fofana, and Rabiot in midfield. In defense, the trio Tomori-Gabbia-Pavlovic lines up in front of Maignan. Conte, on the other hand, has to deal with defensive emergencies: Marianucci, Juan Jesus, and Gutierrez start from the first minute, while up front the reference point is Hojlund, supported by Politano, Anguissa, De Bruyne, and McTominay.

The start is immediately colored Rossoneri: after just a few minutes Pulisic burns Marianucci down the wing, serves Saelemaekers on the opposite side, and the Belgian scores the 1-0 into an open net. Napoli responds with two close chances stopped by Maignan on Gutierrez and McTominay, but at the half-hour mark it’s Milan again: low cross from Pavlovic, intelligent layoff from Fofana, and a winning right-footed shot from Pulisic that makes San Siro erupt for 2-0.

The Azzurri try to respond with De Bruyne, who looks for Di Lorenzo with a precise but slightly long pass, easily caught by Maignan. Before the break, Anguissa has a chance, but his header from a Politano cross is off target. The first half ends 2-0 for the home side.

The second half opens with a more aggressive Napoli: Hojlund nearly gets a touch in front of goal, then an incident changes the match. Estupiñán fouls Di Lorenzo in the box, the referee, after a VAR review, awards the penalty and sends off the Rossoneri defender. From the spot, De Bruyne sends Maignan the wrong way and reignites Napoli’s hopes.

With a numerical advantage, Napoli pushes hard: Elmas tests the Milan defense, then it’s Neres’ turn, who comes close to scoring twice. First he hits the post, then finds a superb Maignan who saves with a spectacular dive. Allegri takes action by bringing on Leao to exploit counterattacks, but Milan closes ranks to protect the result.

After eight minutes of stoppage time, a match full of twists and turns ends, and Milan takes all three points thanks to a second half of total suffering and sacrifice. The Rossoneri catch up with Napoli (alongside Roma) at the top of the table. With a defense in total emergency, Napoli is overwhelmed by Milan’s rampant football in the first half and fails to capitalize on their numerical superiority in the second. At San Siro comes their first league defeat, a cold shower for the Italian champions.

Milan (3-5-2): Maignan 7; Tomori 5.5 (80’ De Winter N/A), Gabbia 5.5, Pavlovic 6; Saelemaekers 6.5 (69’ Athekame 6), Fofana 6.5 (80’ Loftus-Cheek N/A), Modric 7, Rabiot 6.5, Estupiñan 5; Giménez 5.5 (69’ Leão 5.5), Pulisic 8 (59’ Bartesaghi 6). Coach: Allegri 6.5.

Napoli (4-1-4-1): Meret 6; Di Lorenzo 6, Marianucci 5, Juan Jesus 6, Gutierrez 6; Lobotka 6 (90’+3 Gilmour N/A); Politano 6 (77’ Lang 6), Anguissa 6, De Bruyne 6 (73’ Elmas 5.5), McTominay 5.5 (73’ David Neres 7); Hojlund 5.5 (73’ Lucca 5.5). Coach: Conte 5.5.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.