Holding Midfield
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Rafa Benitez’s place as the Milanese bogeyman didn’t look under much threat as Napoli flew out of the blocks to unsettle Massimiliano Allegri’s men in their first proper domestic test of the season, fresh from a promising Champions League victory over Borussia Dortmund mid-week. The Neapolitans lined up in Benitez’s typical 4-2-3-1 while Milan were in a 4-3-1-2. Napoli’s early goal came from a set-piece but the tone for the match was set far better by the two chances they squandered before that. Pressing high up the pitch, Napoli’s front four were making it extremely difficult for Milan’s defenders to play the ball out, not just blocking off balls into the midfield trio by standing between them but also closing down them down to force them into giving it away, gifting a succession of easy chances to Napoli. That line of three was key for Napoli in attack too, as they looked to stretch Milan’s midfield. Marek Hamsik was moving constantly, making it impossible for only one man to look after him. To help Nigel De Jong, Andrea Poli and Sulley Muntari would narrow the midfield but then Lorenzo Insigne, supported well by Juan Zuniga, and Jose Callejon would force […]
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