Rafael Leao created a special Champions League moment, as he ran through Napoli’s defense, to put AC Milan within touching distance of the final four.
When the quarter finals and semi finals of the Champions League were made last month, it instantly made Napoli one of the favorites to win it.
The runaway Serie A leaders were handed a quarter tie with AC Milan, leagues below them in Italy in the current campaign, with the chances of facing either Inter Milan or Benfica in the semis.
Luciano Spalletti’s team could watch their main rivals for the European title take each other out on the opposite side of the draw, with as simple a run to the final, probably in Istanbul, as possible.
However, things have changed in recent weeks, with Stefano Pioli’s side handing out a 4-0 whopping on the Italian league leaders earlier this month.
That came just 10 days before their first meeting in the Champions League, and a Victor Osimhen-less Napoli weren’t able to score in the first leg of the quarter final either.
Milan won 1-0 at the San Siro but must have known that a backlash was coming in the second leg, especially with Osimhen back in the team.
But instead it’s the visitors in Naples who took a 1-0 lead in the first half, thanks to an unbelievable run from Leao, who ran from his own half before setting up Olivier Giroud with just minutes of the first half left.
Giroud wasn’t going to miss that one!
Leão with one of the best solo runs you will ever see 😍#UCL pic.twitter.com/W4i9QLFnb2
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) April 18, 2023
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