TIME MACHINE: ALBERTINI IN AC MILAN v NAPOLI

History, tradition and players of the highest degree. When AC Milan and Napoli clash, there is always much more than just the three points at stake. This weekend, the Rossoneri and the Azzurri face each other on matchday 24 in Serie A, while in the 1993/94 season a renewed AC Milan, still led by Coach Capello, were hunting for their third consecutive league title, and the win over the Neapolitans was an important step towards that objective. As we wait for the next chapter to take form, let's rewind the tape and relive the historic AC Milan v Napoli match from 21 November 1993, decided by a piece of Demetrio Albertini magic.

In August, the Rossoneri had already secured a trophy: the Supercoppa Italiana. They had also started convincingly in Serie A, but in October three consecutive draws and a defeat had held il Diavolo up somewhat. Albertini, an indispensable player in Capello's side, had already found the net twice, in the last two matches in October. Demetrio had first cancelled out Baggio's goal in the home draw against Juventus (1-1), and seven days later he then opened the scoring in the 3-2 defeat at Sampdoria. This time, however, the midfielder's magic would earn his team maximum points and be of enormous worth. The Rossoneri had in fact beaten Inter in the derby prior to an international break, 2-1 thanks to goals from Panucci and Papin, and upon returning back to action they were preparing to host Napoli to turn around their recent stuttering form and gain some new momentum.

At San Siro, AC Milan started strongly, but the Azzurri withstood the pressure. Savićević and Albertini - from a free kick - worried Di Fusco in the first half, while the visitors relied on Di Canio's counterattacks and energy to threaten when possible. In the 45th minute, the sucker-punch: a rebound favored Pecchia who, all alone, beat Rossi from in front of goal to give Napoli the lead just before the break. The Rossoneri reacted and in the 61st minute found a deserved equaliser (1-1) through Panucci's delicate finish who, from the edge of the box, placed his left-footed effort high into the net. It didn't end there, though, because AC Milan piled forward and in the 90th minute completed the comeback. Albertini crafted a perfect free-kick with his right foot to find the top corner and make it 2-1 to earn AC Milan all three points. It was a massive win for the Rossoneri, which triggered a run of 16 games without defeat, culminating in lifting their third consecutive Scudetto title.

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