"Even Osimhen would have struggled" - Arrigo Sacchi explains how Milan outplayed Napoli

who is 16 points clear at the top of the table, suffered a 4-0 home defeat against

on Sunday.

scored twice, while Brahim Diaz and Alexis Saelemaekers also scored for Milan.

In a column for La Gazzetta dello Sport, Sacchi praised Stefano Pioli’s tactics and said Napoli lacked their usual qualities.

He wrote:

“Napoli lost because they lost those principles and values ​​which, until now, had amazed everyone. Meanwhile Milan showed that the team, when it works, is always a winner.

“Here is the difference between the two teams: Napoli, leading the championship, has so far played football with great movement, great intensity and great speed. Against the Rossoneri these qualities were not seen.

“Spalletti’s boys started off at a slow pace, too slow. And so, by not putting their opponents under pressure with their pressing, they gave them courage.”

The former Milan manager also explained how they were able to beat Serie A leaders so comfortably, and insisted that having Victor Osimhen would not have made a difference for Napoli.

“The team was very motivated, the players constantly helped each other, they changed roles and positions and were always linked together. Always compact, Pioli’s group. Always ready to double mark. Always available to contribute both in possession and out of possession.

“Everyone will say: yes, but Osimhen wasn’t playing. So, let’s immediately clear up that misunderstanding: in this context, it was a Napoli side that was not very gritty, very slow and very predictable, even Osimhen would have struggled. And this explains that one player cannot solve the situation.”

Sacchi praised Brahim Diaz’s performance in Sunday’s match.

He explained:

“I really liked Brahim Diaz. He fought, created, scored, gave assists and was even able to cause problems in the defensive phase. He was a bogeyman for the entire Napoli defence, a defence which, to be honest, seemed too soft and vulnerable to me.

“Why all this happened I don’t know exactly. Perhaps there was too much excitement, perhaps there was the thought of being unbeatable, maybe."

Sacchi also warned Napoli, who will have to face Milan again in the quarter-finals of the Champions League in 10 days, and claimed Sunday’s defeat is a hard blow to recover from quickly.

“Moments of crisis or simply bad matches can happen to anyone,”

he wrote.

“Milan also went through a bad time, now Liverpool are experiencing it. Now Spalletti and the coaches will have to be very good because a lot of psychological work will be needed. For Spalletti’s boys it will be a hard blow to recover from quickly.”

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