UEFA Champions: AC Milan enter semifinals for the first time in 16 years

NAPLES: Seven-time winners AC Milan are back in the last four of the UEFA Champions League for the first time since 2007 after a 1-1 draw with Napoli secured their progress.

After a narrow win in the first leg, a battling 1-1 draw in Naples saw Milan making the final four of Europe’s elite competition for the first time in 16 years. They joined Juventus as the Italian team with most number of appearances at this stage of the competition (seven).

The match got underway with Napoli piling on the pressure and AC Milan looking to counter on the break. They threatened through Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (9') and Politano’s two attempts from the edge of the area.

The best chance to break the deadlock came from the spot as Mario Rui brought down Rafa Leao in the box after good link-up play with Theo Hernandez, but Olivier Giroud found the gloves of Meret, who guessed the right way to save after 23 minutes.

Five minutes later, the French striker had another glorious chance, after being set up by Sandro Tonali, but his left-footed shot on target was again kept out by Meret.

A deserved lead for the Lian did eventually come, though, after 43 minutes when Leao accelerated away and got past three defenders before squaring to Olivier who slotted home into an open net to make it 1-0.

The second half started off with an early opportunity for Kvaratskhelia, who fired over from a good position. The tempo of the game showed no signs of letting up, with AC Milan organised and compact up against the home side’s forward attacks.

Napoli gave AC Milan backline a slight scare in the 58th and 60th minute, first through Kvaratskhelia, whose attempt was off target, and Lozano, who shot over the bar with his left.

Changes from both sides didn’t alter the pattern, with AC Milan only conceding long-range efforts to the hosts. After 81 minutes, Napoli earned a penalty from Tomori’s handball, but Mike Maignan got the better of Kvaratskhelia and made a super diving save to maintain the AC Milan’s one-goal advantage.

Napoli did find an equaliser deep into stoppage-time through Osimhen’s header, after Raspadori’s cross in, but AC Milan held on to go through to the semifinals. IANS

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