NAPOLI v AC MILAN: TIME MACHINE

Between challenging for the Scudetto and great individual performances, there have been several unforgettable matches between Napoli and AC Milan in Rossoneri history. At the San Paolo – now the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona – Pioli's team picked up three crucial points in the title race last year, at what has traditionally been a tough place to go, yet one undoubtedly full of charm and memorable moments. In this edition of Time Machine, we relive five of them, while we wait for a new chapter in the battle against the Partenopei.

1 MAY 1988: 90 MINUTES TO DECIDE THE SCUDETTO
First against second. Reigning champions vs challengers. Just one point separating the two teams with 180 minutes left in the season. Napoli 2-3 AC Milan on 1 May 1988 looked set to be a memorable clash in the title race, and the game did not disappoint. Sacchi's side was buoyed by the strength of an exhilarating comeback following three consecutive wins that reduced a gap which had reached six points at the start of April. In Naples, a match took place that is considered among the greatest in Serie A history. Virdis broke the deadlock in the 36th minute, before Maradona equalised before half-time. The second half, however, was all AC Milan. The Rossoneri's attacking intensity grew, and they were rewarded as Virdis restored their lead in the 68th minute, before Van Basten added a third. Careca pulled one back to set up a tense finale, but the score line did not change. Milan needed only two draws, against Juventus and Como, to return to Italian football's summit.

8 NOVEMBER 1992: VAN BASTEN SCORES FOUR
The Swan of Utrecht had proved decisive four years earlier, but the Napoli v AC Milan game that Van Basten is most famous for is undoubtedly that of the 1992/93 season. The antipasto for his third Ballon d'Or of his career was the month of four goals: before scoring four against Göteborg came this unforgettable afternoon at the San Paolo. 7': a right footer from the edge of the box off a corner. 27': a clever finish anticipating the goalkeeper's movement after winning the ball. 69': after Eranio made it 3-0, he was assisted in the six-yard box by Albertini. 75': a right footed shot from 13 metres after winning the ball back. He became the fourth player – after Sormani, Prati and Rivera – to score four goals in a Serie A for AC Milan, and once more entered the Rossoneri's history books.

14 APRIL 1996: THREE KEY POINTS IN THE TITLE RACE
Napoli is always an important game in the race for the Scudetto. After 1988 and 1992 – a draw mathematically securing a 12th title – came 1996. It wasn't a direct clash (Boškov's Napoli were mid-table at the time), but due to the league table, after a shock home defeat for second-placed Juventus. There was no goal fest this time; the match was decided by in the 13th minute by a Christian Panucci header from Baggio's corner, giving the Rossoneri a nine-point lead over the Bianconeri with four games to play. This margin proved too much for a comeback, with May becoming another month of league title celebration.

25 OCTOBER 2010: ROBINHO AND ZLATAN THE MATCHWINNERS
We enter the third millennium for a game that would prove crucial, in hindsight, in the chase for another Scudetto. Walter Mazzarri's revitalised Napoli side established themselves as a serious title contender this season, and this Monday night at the San Paolo represented a very stern test after Lazio had already won to remain top of the league. Allegri's side responded to what was an important test for a side that had been searching for consistency after an up-and-down start. Robinho's first-half goal and Zlatan's after the break proved enough for a 2-1 win, the importance of which would be better understood in the following months.

22 NOVEMBER 2020: IBRAHIMOVIĆ AT SAN PAOLO AGAIN
Ten years later, another big game in Naples. Another chapter in the book of Zlatan's lengthy career with the Rossoneri was written against Napoli. It was this game against the Partenopei that represented the 8th consecutive game in which Ibrahimović scored (across two competitions), as his brace in the 3-1 win in November 2020 meant that he became the oldest player to reach ten league goals in the first eight games of the season. Three big points in the return to the Champions League, and three points that secured a first victory at San Paolo for ten years, since his winner in 2010. Therefore, from Ibra to Ibra.

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