Serie A | Napoli 1-0 Milan: Politano picks new Scudetto challenger

Matteo Politano came off the bench for a late goal to give Napoli victory over Milan, sending them into second place, with Inter’s lead at the top extended to seven points.

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This was a crucial crossroads in the campaign, as third hosted second to see who would emerge to challenge leaders Inter.

Rasmus Hojlund was ruled out by a stomach bug, so Giovane was the makeshift centre-forward, because Romelu Lukaku was frozen out for seeking treatment in Belgium, with David Neres, Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Amir Rrahmani and Antonio Vergara injured.

Both Rafael Leao and Christian Pulisic were only fit for the bench, with Ruben Loftus-Cheek returning after six weeks out with facial fractures, and Matteo Gabbia a long-term absentee, so Max Allegri launched a new front pairing of Niclas Fullkrug and Christopher Nkunku.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

Luka Modric squirmed through a crowd to force Alessandro Buongiorno into a bookable offence, and from that free kick Strahinja Pavlovic nodded inches wide of the near post.

Leonardo Spinazzola dribbled past Youssouf Fofana to bend a finish just wide of the far top corner, with Nkunku failing to keep his finish down when sent clear down the left by Fofana.

Giovane sprinted onto a through ball and was shaping up to shoot when blocked off by Pavlovic, but he forced a big one-handed save out of Mike Maignan with a strike from outside the area after the restart.

Maignan also parried a Kevin De Bruyne effort from the by-line at the near post when sent through by Spinazzola, while Andre Frank Zambo Anguissa nodded wide from a promising position.

The breakthrough came in the final stages, as Mathias Olivera’s cross to the back post was only flicked on with a weak Koni De Winter header, finding Matteo Politano on the volley with the left foot from a tight angle to give Napoli the lead.

That magic left foot

Matteo Politano gives Napoli the lead in a must win game

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— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) April 6, 2026

Santiago Gimenez saw his header sail just over the bar from a Zachary Athekame cross, while Rafael Leao fired over when going for the same ball as Pulisic.

Napoli 1-0 Milan

Politano 79 (N)

06-04-2026 19:45

MatchDay 31

Stadio Diego Armando Maradona

Napoli

Milan

Live

1 - 0

Player statistic

1st half

Alessandro Buongiorno

12'

2nd half

Matteo Politano		79'
Matteo Politano		81'

Napoli

Milan

Starting lineups

32

Vanja Milinković-Savić

Goalkeeper

4

Alessandro Buongiorno

Defender

5

Juan Jesus

Defender

85'

37

Leonardo Spinazzola

Defender

74'

17

Mathías Olivera

Defender

3

Miguel Gutiérrez

Defender

99

Frank Anguissa

Midfielder

11

Kevin De Bruyne

Midfielder

85'

8

Scott McTominay

Midfielder

68

Stanislav Lobotka

Midfielder

23

Giovane

Attacker

70'

16

Mike Maignan

Goalkeeper

33

Davide Bartesaghi

Defender

23

Fikayo Tomori

Defender

82'

5

Koni De Winter

Defender

31

Strahinja Pavlovic

Defender

12

Adrien Rabiot

Midfielder

56

Alexis Saelemaekers

Midfielder

62'

14

Luka Modric

Midfielder

19

Youssouf Fofana

Midfielder

82'

18

Christopher Nkunku

Attacker

74'

9

Niclas Füllkrug

Attacker

62'

Substitutes

1

Alex Meret

Goalkeeper

14

Nikita Contini

Goalkeeper

30

Pasquale Mazzocchi

Defender

6

Billy Gilmour

Midfielder

27

Alisson Santos

Attacker

70'

21

Matteo Politano

Attacker

74'

20

Eljif Elmas

Midfielder

85'

31

Sam Beukema

Defender

85'

1

Pietro Terracciano

Goalkeeper

4

Samuele Ricci

Midfielder

2

Pervis Estupiñán

Defender

30

Ardon Jashari

Midfielder

96

Lorenzo Torriani

Goalkeeper

27

David Odogu

Defender

7

Santiago Giménez

Attacker

62'

24

Zachary Athekame

Defender

62'

11

Christian Pulisic

Attacker

74'

10

Rafael Leão

Attacker

82'

8

Ruben Loftus-Cheek

Midfielder

82'