WOMEN, AC MILAN v NAPOLI: MATCH PREVIEW

Starting off from the good signs shown last time out, in what will be the last match this calendar year: this is AC Milan Women's First Team mission, who at the PUMA House of Football welcome bottom-of-the-table Napoli on matchday 11. Despite the distance between the two teams in the table, the reverse fixture was a close contest, decided by the last move of the game. It's a game that cannot to be taken for granted, with a win needed to look forward to January with optimism and belief. Here is our Match Preview as we move closer to the game, which kicks off at 12:30 CET on Saturday 16 December.

LATEST FROM PUMA HOUSE OF FOOTBALL
Eight games to play in the regular season, and six points to claw back from the top five spots in the table in order to get a place in the Championship Round and keep the Champions League dream alive. AC Milan are hungry for points and head into the game with Napoli with an almost full squad, having no suspensions or players on a booking. At Roma, last time out, they lined up with a slightly different formation than the normal 4-3-3, with Asllani closer to Stašková and Dubcová in midfield: a full work's week at the PUMA House of Football may also bring about some team news and changes in the starting eleven. Seasonal debut for Silvia Rubio Ávila, back in the ranks.

The Rossonere squad: Babb, Copetti, Giuliani; Bergamaschi, Fusetti, Piga, Semplici, Swaby, Thrige; Adami, Cernoia, Grimshaw, Mascarello, Rubio, Soffia, Vigilucci; Arrigoni, Asllani, Dompig, Jonušaitė, Laurent, Marinelli, Stašková.

LATEST FROM NAPOLI
After losing every game in the first half of the season, the Neapolitans started off the second part with their first point, a draw against Como: it was a result that backed up their good performance prior, despite being beaten by Juvetus at home. Last time out, the side from Campania had three big players missing - Corelli, Giai and captain Di Marino - and their return for the game with AC Milan remains to be seen. They have no suspensions, with only Di Bari on a booking. Players of note, in the Neapolitans' 4-3-1-2, are Bačić between the sticks and the experienced Paloma Lázaro up top.

PRE-MATCH STATS
It's the sixth meeting between the two teams in the Women's Serie A: four historic wins for AC Milan and one draw, coming in the last fixture between the sides on 6 March 2022, at the PUMA House of Football. The Rossonere are ready to play their 150th game in their history in all competitions, and are close to netting 250 goals in Serie A. It will be necessary to reverse a run of two consecutive defeats and only two points collected out of a possible 15 recently. To do so, Corti's side will have to make the most of set-pieces, which so far this season have produced 60% of their league goals, and one Laura Giuliani, who has the highest save percentage out of all goalkeepers in the league to have played at least five games (77.8%). There are two former players involved in this fixture - Árnadóttir for AC Milan and Mauri for Napoli - while the Rossonere's Emelyne Laurent scored her first goal for the Club against the Neapolitans in the reverse fixture earlier in the season.

WHERE TO WATCH AC MILAN ON TV
In Italy, AC Milan v Napoli will be shown live on DAZN from 12:30 CET onwards. Don't miss coverage on acmilan.com, the Rossonere's official social media channels and on the AC Milan Official App where, the day after, the full game will be available on demand.

LATEST FROM WOMEN'S SERIE A
The match at the PUMA House of Football is set to be refereed by Giuseppe Maria Manzo. Assisting him are linesmen Decorato and Spataro, with fourth official Macrina.

AC Milan v Napoli will kick off matchday 11 in the Women's Serie A eBay. Sampdoria v Juventus will also be played on Saturday 16 December (at 14:30 CET), while on Sunday 17 it will be the turn of Pomigliano v Sassuolo (12:30 CET) and Como Women v Roma (15:00 CET). Rounding off the weekend - and 2023 - will be Fiorentina v Inter on Monday 18.

Here's the current table: Roma 30; Juventus 27; Fiorentina 22; Inter 17; Como Women 15; AC Milan 9; Sassuolo and Sampdoria 8; Pomigliano 5; Napoli 1.

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