On 12 April 2023, AC Milan’s French goalkeeper Mike Maignan embraced the club’s British defender Fikayo Tomori after the UEFA Champions League quarter‑final first leg against SSC Napoli at the San Siro. The match, captured in a photo by Gabriel Bouys (AFP), ended in a 1‑0 victory for Milan.
Algerian midfielder Ismaël Bennacer provided the decisive moment, scoring five minutes before halftime. His strike gave Milan a narrow lead in a tightly contested, wet, and noisy atmosphere at the San Siro, following a brilliant combination between Brahim Diaz and Rafael Leão. This win marked Milan’s second triumph over the Italian champions‑elect Napoli within two weeks, leaving them with a slim advantage to defend at Naples’ Stadio Maradona next week.
Napoli suffered a setback when André‑Frank Zambo Anguissa was sent off in the 74th minute. Although they should have Victor Osimhen available for the second leg on Tuesday, the team failed to capitalize on numerous chances, despite the presence of star striker. Milan’s goalkeeper Maignan made several impressive saves, notably during Napoli’s early onslaught that produced four good opportunities in the first 15 minutes, and later when he denied Giovanni Di Lorenzo’s effort as more than 70,000 home fans celebrated.
Bennacer’s solitary goal kept Milan’s hopes alive for a first Champions League semi‑final since their 2007 triumph. The prospect is especially enticing for Milan supporters, as a potential opponent would be local rivals Inter, who secured a convincing win over Benfica on Tuesday.
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