AC MILAN starting XI (4-2-3-1): Maignan, Calabria (subbed for Florenzi), Kjaer (subbed for Simic), Gabbia, Hernandez, Adli, Bennacer (subbed for Musah), Pulisic (subbed for Jimenez), Loftus-Cheek, Leao, Giroud (subbed for Jovic)

Bench: Sportiello, Mirante, Terracciano, Eletu, Okafor

Goals: Hernandez 25’

NAPOLI starting XI (3-5-1-1): Gollini, Ostigard (subbed for Politano), Rrahmani, Juan Jesus (subbed for Ngonge), Di Lorenzo, Anguissa, Lobotka, Zielinski (subbed for Lindstrom), Mazzocchi (subbed for Olivera), Kvaratskhelia, Simeone (subbed for Raspadori)

Bench: Contini, Natan, Dendoncker, Traorè, Cajuste

Theo Hernandez’s first-half strike was enough to give Milan a 1-0 win over the defending champions on Sunday (Monday AEDT) and move to within a point of Juventus.

Napoli remained seventh and slipped seven points below fourth-placed Atalanta.

Milan hadn’t beaten Napoli in the league at home since 2014, although they had earned victories in the Italian Cup and last year in the Champions League.

Star Napoli winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia was given a new and liberating role by Walter Mazzarri and that almost had an immediate impact as he dribbled down the right before crossing for Giovanni Simeone, but he fired just past the right post.

Milan took the lead in the 25th minute when Olivier Giroud spread the ball to Rafael Leao on the left and he played a delightful through ball for Hernandez to run on to and fire into the near bottom corner.

The Rossoneri went close to doubling their lead immediately after the interval, but Napoli goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini parried Alessandro Florenzi’s strike and then managed to reach over and grab the loose ball before Giroud could pounce.

Leao almost got on the scoresheet himself - for the first time in the league since September - as he cut inside his defender, only to curl the effort just past the right post.

It was end-to-end action and Napoli almost equalised late on when Jesper Lindstrom’s cross was deflected on to the left upright by Milan defender Jan-Carlo Simic.

Goalkeeper Mike Maignan then produced a fantastic save to push Matteo Politano’s effort over the bar.

AAP

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