Napoli clinched the Serie A title on Thursday with five games to spare as they ended a 33-year drought stretching back to when Diego Maradona led them to the Scudetto in 1990.
At the start of the season it would have been difficult to envisage Napoli becoming champions ahead of heavyweights such as Juventus and the two Milan clubs not to mention AS Roma.
Napoli tenía todo listo para descorchar el champagne y celebrar sus primer título en la Serie A en 33 años, algo que de paso habría convertido en Hirving Lozano en el primer futbolista mexicano en ser campeón en Italia. Sin embargo, el Salernitana de otro azteca – San Memo Ochoa – metió la cola y les arruinó la fiesta.
Luego de la derrota 3-1 sufrida por Lazio ante Inter, Napoli necesitaba un triunfo en el Stadio Diego Armando Maradona para desatar los festejos.
Runaway Serie A leaders Napoli could seal their third Scudetto in record fashion this weekend if they beat lowly visitors Salernitana and second-placed Lazio drop points at Inter Milan.
Victory on Sunday would move Luciano Spalletti's side to 81 points and they will become the first team to win the title with six matches remaining unless Lazio earn their first win away to Inter in more than four years on the same day.
AC Milan are in the Champions League semifinals after drawing Napoli 1-1 (for a 2-1 in aggregate) in the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. The Rossoneri will play this stage for the first time since the 2006-07 season, but the history could have been completely different if referee Szymon Marciniak and VAR had not looked to the other side in a clear penalty not called on Mexican winger Hirving "Chucky" Lozano.
I get that it could have been difficult to see it in real-time, but what were they doing at VAR? Watching Looney Tunes?
Ismaël Bennacer got a lot of high-fives after scoring the only goal in AC Milan's crucial 1-0 win over Napoli in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals.
However, if we have to choose a man of the match, that recognition should be in the hands of left fullback Theo Hernandez. The dyed-blond Frenchman probably didn't lead any stat some people care about nowadays, but he fueled his teammates from an emotional point of view.
Especially after seeing the aggressive tête-à-tête he starred alongside Mexican Hirving Lozano during a trivial throw-in.
In beating Napoli 1-0 in their Champions League quarterfinal first leg at the San Siro, Milan exemplified all the UCL cliché's that Real Madrid have entirely owned and turned into bonafide pieces of wisdom over the last decade. Hell, Milan even used a Real Madrid loanee to get it done.
Cliché No. 1, you need to be street wise — basically you need to be in the mold of Theo Hernández.
Theo Hernandez is not messing around. pic.twitter.com/p3ga9PMVgJ
Seguro que varios se estarán preguntando si veremos al Chucky Lozano vs AC Milan en el partido de ida de los cuartos de final de la Champions League 2022-23 que se juega este miércoles 12 de abril (3 p.m. ET). Y bueno, lo más probable es que así sea.
¿Lo curioso? Hay una gran chance es que lo haga utilizando una posición bastante diferente a lo que acostumbra, ya que en vez de ir por la banda, serviría a la causa como "falso nueve".
¡Ah! Bendito fin de semana. Hora de ver a la gente que amas, respirar al aire libre, pero también de hundirse en el sofá para ver tus partidos de fútbol favorito.
Sí, sabemos que sería ideal verlos todos, pero es físicamente imposible. Lo bueno es que aquí tenemos la cartelera de la Liga MX y los mexicanos en el extranjeros para que programes tu vida de manera acorde.
Viernes 7 de abril
NAPLES, Italy - The face of a young Diego Armando Maradona gazes down from a mural in Naples' Miracles Square, watching the city gear up for a celebration it hasn't enjoyed since the Argentine soccer star was at his peak more than 30 years ago.
Miracles for Neapolitans, who grew up in a city steeped in mysticism and superstition, are happening on the pitch, as their team cruise towards a third Serie A triumph and prepares for their first ever quarterfinal in the Champions League.
Talking points from the weekend in European soccer leagues:
BARCELONA TAKE HUGE STEP TOWARDS LALIGA TITLE
Barcelona have tightened their grip at the top of the LaLiga standings after an electric 2-1 comeback win in an El Clásico against bitter rivals Real Madrid on Sunday.
Franck Kessié's stunner in added time gave Barça a well-earned victory that left second-placed Real trailing the leaders by 12 points with only 12 games to be played.
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