Ismael Bennacer gave AC Milan a 1-0 home win over runaway Serie A leaders Napoli in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final as the visitors had Frank Anguissa sent off in the second half.
2022/2023 UEFA Champions League
1-0
Match Report
Bennacer scored a first-half winner as he hammered past Alex Meret to put Milan on course for a first Champions League semi-final since 2007, when they won the competition.
Napoli, who are 22 points ahead of Milan in Serie A but were without injured star striker Victor Osimhen for the first leg, had spells of dominance at the San Siro as they saw an effort cleared off the line in the first minute and hit the bar in the second half.
But Anguissa picked up two yellow cards in the space of three minutes and 45 seconds to see red in the 74th minute to halt their momentum, although Giovanni Di Lorenzo saw an effort well saved by Mike Maignan late on.
Milan, who only had two shots on target, will take a narrow lead to Naples for the return leg on Tuesday with Luciano Spalletti's side without both Anguissa and Min-Jae Kim for the game after the defender picked up a second-half booking.
Match Events
0' The match is about to start!
2' CHANCE! Kvaratskhelia's shot stopped!
4' Anguissa's long shot stopped by Maignan
14' Zielinski's long shot stopped again
25' CHANCE! Leao's shot wide out
38' Yellow Card! Zielinski booked
40' GOAL! Milan 1-0 Napoli (Bennacer)
47' CLOSE! Kjaer hits the bar
50' Elmas' header stopped
61' Yellow Card! Bennacer booked
74' Second Yellow Card! Anguissa sent off
Line-ups
Milan XI: Kjaer, Giroud, Maignan, Krunic, Calabria, Tomori, Bennacer, Theo, Brahim, Tonali, Leao
Subs: Mirante, Florenzi, Rebic, Origi, F.Toure, Gabbia, Tommaso Pobega, Junior Messias, Alexis Saelemaekers, Malick Thiaw, De Ketelaere, Kalulu
Napoli XI: Mario Rui, Zielinski, Di Lorenzo, Lobotka, Rrahmani, Meret, Lozano, Anguissa, Elmas, Min-jae Kim, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
Subs: Juan, Bereszynski, Politano, Gollini, Ndombele, M.Olivera, Giacomo Raspadori, Leo Östigard, Gaetano, Hubert Idasiak