Napoli 2-0 Milan – Hojlund Catapults Partenopei to Supercoppa Final | OneFootball

Napoli beat Milan 2-0 in the first Supercoppa Italiana semi-final to reach the final, securing a chance to win this trophy for the first time since 2014. Antonio Conte’s side avenged a heartbreaking 2-1 defeat in Serie A earlier this season.

Milan started on the front foot, as Vanja Milinkovic-Savic had to pull off a massive leg save to deny Ruben Loftus-Cheek from point-blank range. However, after weathering the early storm, Napoli assumed control of proceedings before drawing first blood through David Neres.

Rasmus Hojlund sent in a low cross that found the Brazilian on the edge of the six-yard box. Mike Maignan’s poor reaction allowed the diminutive winger to tap the ball into an empty net and put Napoli in front at halftime. Things went from bad to worse for the Rossoneri at the start of the second half.

Hojlund shifted from playing the role of a provider to leading the line as a scorer. Indeed, the Danish striker was too hot to handle for Koni De Winter before beating Maignan with a thumping finish. Faced with a two-goal deficit, Milan showed little ambition to turn things around, allowing Napoli to see out the contest with relative comfort.

Without further ado, let’s look at our player ratings.

Napoli (3-4-2-1)

Vanja Milinkovic-Savic – 8/10

His early save proved decisive, inspiring confidence throughout the backline that let Milan attempt only two more shots on target afterward.

Juan Jesus – 7/10

The Brazilian center-back dealt with Christian Pulisic expertly, keeping the USMNT forward in his back pocket for the entire game. Calm and collected in possession.

Amir Rrahmani – 8/10

In addition to a flawless defensive performance, the Kosovo international nearly scored a long-range screamer, only for Maignan to thwart his electrifying shot with a stunning save.

Giovanni Di Lorenzo – 6/10

His defensive splitting pass nearly led to Napoli’s opener midway through the first half. However, the Napoli captain lacked consistency.

Matteo Politano – 6/10

Despite showcasing some eye-catching skills down the flank, the Italian winger failed to put Milan’s defense to the test, often struggling to beat Pervis Estupinan in one-on-one situations.

Stanislav Lobotka – 5/10

Another average showing from the miniature midfielder saw Lobotka take no risks in possession, always playing the ball to his closest teammate without trying to break down Milan’s defensive block.

Scott McTominay – 6/10

It was a relatively quiet night for the Scottish talisman, though he almost broke the deadlock with a first-time shot from the edge of the box.

Leonardo Spinazzola – 6/10

The Italian wingback fared much better than Politano. Unafraid to surge forward, he provided energy and width on the left flank, even if his final ball lacked precision.

Elif Elmas – 5/10

One would expect Elmas to try harder in a rare start under Conte, yet the North Macedonian midfielder struggled to impose himself and faded out of the game far too easily.

David Neres – 8/10

The Brazilian was clinical in that 39th minute, measuring his run to perfection before slotting home a routine finish. He was a constant source of threat on the counter.

Ramsus Hojlund – 9/10

A man-of-the-match performance from the Manchester United loanee saw Holjund engineer Napoli’s win. He could’ve scored more than once tonight, yet Maignan denied his dangerous attempt on the stroke of halftime.

Substitutions

Noah Lang – 5/10

Pasquale Mazzocchi – 6/10

Miguel Gutierrez – N/A

Lorenzo Luca – N/A

Antonio Vergara – N/A

Milan (3-5-2)

Mike Maignan – 7/10

It’s debatable whether he could’ve done better to prevent that ball from reaching Neres’ foot. However, the Frenchman atoned for that mistake with a catalog of outstanding saves.

Fikayo Tomori – 5/10

The Englishman looked up the creek without a paddle from the start, making several erratic interventions while struggling to cope with Napoli’s movement and physicality.

Koni De Winter – 2/10

Massimiliano Allegri’s decision to put him at the heart of his backline returned to haunt Milan as Hojlund dominated the former Genoa center-back from start to finish.

Strahinja Pavlovic – 4/10

Despite putting on another spirited performance, the Serbian star lost track of Neres for the opening goal.

Pervis Estupinan – 5/10

Though the Ecuadorian fared reasonably well in defense, he had nothing to offer on the other side of the pitch, especially when Milan desperately needed an attacking spark down the flank.

Adrien Rabiot – 6/10

With Luka Modric on the bench, Rabiot was supposed to be Milan’s driving force in the middle of the park. However, apart from misdirecting his towering header in the first half, the French ace failed to have a significant impact on the game.

Ardon Jashari – 5/10

Allegri trusted the Swiss playmaker to fill Modric’s shoes, yet it was yet another poor call from the Milan boss. A lengthy spell on the sidelines seemingly took a toll on the ex-Club Brugge stalwart.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek – 5/10

That early miss seemed to knock his confidence, and he never truly recovered his influence on the match.

Alexis Saelemaekers – 6/10

Far more involved than Estupinan, the Belgian winger worked hard on both sides of the ball and at least tried to inject some urgency into Milan’s play, even if his end product left room for improvement.

Christopher Nkunku – 4/10

The Frenchman’s rough start to life in Italian football shows no signs of slowing down, as he delivered another near-anonymous performance.

Christian Pulisic – 4/10

Like his attacking teammate, Milan’s most prolific forward failed to create chances or threaten Napoli’s defense. A forgettable night for the Rossoneri superstar!

Substitutions