The legendary former Milan and Italy national team coach Arrigo Sacchi has given his assessment of Napoli’s 4-0 loss to the Rossoneri on Sunday evening, claiming that ‘even Osimhen would have struggled’ in what he described as a ‘soft’ performance from Luciano Spalletti’s team.
Milan went two goals up before half-time at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona courtesy of goals from Rafael Leao and Brahim Diaz, before Leao doubled his personal tally for the evening to make it 3-0, with Alexis Saelemaekers adding a fourth with 25 minutes left to go.
In a column for La Gazzetta dello Sport, Sacchi was full of praise for Stefano Pioli and his side’s performance in Naples, although he fundamentally believes that Napoli were their own worst enemies on the night.
He wrote: “Napoli lost because they lost those principles and values which, until now, had amazed everyone. Meanwhile Milan showed that the team, when it works, is always a winner.
“Here is the difference between the two teams: Napoli, leading the championship, has so far played football with great movement, great intensity and great speed. Against the Rossoneri these qualities were not seen.
“Spalletti’s boys started off at a slow pace, too slow. And so, by not putting their opponents under pressure with their pressing, they gave them courage.”
The 77-year-old then went on to give his verdict of why Milan were able to capitalise on their opportunities so effectively:
“The team was very motivated, the players constantly helped each other, they changed roles and positions and were always linked together. Always compact, Pioli’s group. Always ready to double mark. Always available to contribute both in possession and out of possession.
“Everyone will say: yes, but Osimhen wasn’t playing. So, let’s immediately clear up that misunderstanding: in this context, it was a Napoli side that was not very gritty, very slow and very predictable, even Osimhen would have struggled. And this explains that one player cannot solve the situation.”
Having scored his first two league goals in nine league outings, Leao drew widespread praise for his performance against the Partenopei, but Sacchi was even more impressed with another member of his former side’s attacking unit.
He explained: “I really liked Brahim Diaz. He fought, created, scored, gave assists and was even able to cause problems in the defensive phase. He was a bogeyman for the entire Napoli defence, a defence which, to be honest, seemed too soft and vulnerable to me.
“Why all this happened I don’t know exactly. Perhaps there was too much excitement, perhaps there was the thought of being unbeatable, maybe.
Sacchi then issued a word of warning to Spalletti and his team, who will have to face Milan again in the quarter-finals of the Champions League in the coming weeks.
“Moments of crisis or simply bad matches can happen to anyone,” he wrote.
“Milan also went through a bad time, now Liverpool are experiencing it. Now Spalletti and the coaches will have to be very good because a lot of psychological work will be needed. For Spalletti’s boys it will be a hard blow to recover from quickly.”
They didn’t have osimhen and we missed Kalulu, who has played in every game this season. Can’t have everything your own way in every game. We were superior in san siro too, but unlike last night, we didn’t convert the chances.