Rafael Leao may have been UEFA’s Player of the Match for Milan’s Champions League quarter-final win over Napoli, but Mike Maignan was the true unsung hero for the Rossoneri, Apollo Heyes writes.
Stefano Pioli’s side held the Partenopei to a 1-1 draw at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, securing a 2-1 aggregate win and allowing them to progress to the semi-finals of the Champions League for the first time since 2007.
Leao did play a key role in Milan’s draw on the night and victory in the tie, pulling off a sensational pitch-long run to provide the assist for Olivier Giroud’s vital goal, a moment that earnt him the Player of the Match award.
One player who contributed even more to Milan’s success in the quarter-final was Maignan, who only conceded one goal across the tie.
The Frenchman was on fire in Campania, making three vital saves and stopping a penalty from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in the 82nd minute, contributions that allowed his side to slip past into the next round.
In the first leg in Lombardy, the former Lille man was equally as important for Milan, making five stops to keep things calm at the back, allowing them to edge out the decisive 1-0 win.
When Gianluigi Donnarumma left Milan, the club he’d been with for eight years, there were two dominant emotions for the supporters: bitterness at the nature of his departure, and the anxiety of finding an adequate replacement.
Maignan arrived for just €15.3m from Lille that summer to take over and has somehow managed to exceed his predecessor, quickly making a case for himself to be considered the best goalkeeper in the world currently.
The Frenchman played a vital role in the Rossoneri’s Scudetto success last season and his 23-game absence through injury this campaign played a large part in their inability to defend their title, a sign of his central role in the system in Lombardy.
Whether it’s Inter or Benfica for Milan in the Champions League semi-finals, they’ll feel safer than ever with a worldclass shot stopper like Maignan between the sticks, and ultimately lifting the trophy in the coming months would give the Frenchman the widespread acclaim he deserves.