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How we conquered Napoli despite Osimhen’s presence- AC Milan boss

AC Milan showed Napoli the UEFA Champions League exit door, having picked a 1-1 draw against Napoli at home

AC Milan boss, Stefano Pioli, shared the secret to his team’s UEFA Champions League victory against Napoli on Tuesday evening.

The Rossoneri travelled to the Diego Maradona stadium to defend their 1-goal deficit in the first leg when they faced the Gli Azzurri.

All things went according to plan for the Milan outfit despite the return of Victor Osimhen in the squad, which the boss said they needed to play with a lower ball to avoid giving the Nigerian a chance to score.

Former Arsenal forward, Olivier Giroud, got an early kick which he missed, but he could make good use of Rafael Leao’s pass as he fired past Alex Meret.

Osimhen, despite Pioli’s plan, was able to pull one back for Luciano Spalletti’s men, but it was not enough to see them through to the Semis.

After the game, Pioli, speaking to reporters, revealed that his men prepared hard for the clash, and he would want that to continue.

“To tonight, it would seem like a derby with Inter, and it will likely be so. Two more beautiful, stimulating clashes. We’ve done a lot, and we definitely don’t want to stop. The 1-0 of the first leg certainly helped us. Given the presence of Osimhen, we decided to stay a little lower so as not to give him the depth.” he said, as cited by Tutto Napoli.

The Neapolitans, having crashed out from all competitive games, will be left to secure a scudetto if they maintain their lead at the top of the Serie A standings.

Ayomide Oguntimehin

Ayomide Oguntimehin is a CAF-accredited sports journalist and an Editor at Soccernet.ng, with a proven track record in conducting interviews with Super Eagles stars such as William Troost-Ekong, Taiwo Awoniyi, Bright Osayi-Samuel, Ademola Lookman, and many others. He has also made a significant impact in breaking transfer news stories. Grounded in video editing, video journalism, social media management, and content strategy, Ayomide brings a wealth of expertise to his work. With a Bachelor's degree in English Language from Adeyemi College of Education and a Master's Degree in School Library and Media Technology from the University of Ibadan, Ayomide is well-prepared to excel in the field.

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