Osimhen back for Napoli, Milan’s Giroud cleared to play

ROME (AP):

AC Milan can move one step closer to reviving their past European glory. Napoli can add another milestone to their extraordinary season.

Figuring out which team will come out on top after the second leg of their all-Italian Champions League quarterfinal today at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona may come down to the status of their centre forwards.

Serie A scoring leader Victor Osimhen is back from an injured abductor muscle in his left leg that kept him out of Napoli’s 1-0 loss in the first game last week. Milan striker Olivier Giroud has been cleared to play the second leg after an Achilles tendon issue but questions remain over his status.

Milan won the last of their seven European Cup and Champions League titles in 2007, while Napoli are playing in the quarterfinals for the first time.

Napoli are also nearing their first Serie A title in more than 30 years, with a 14-point lead over second-placed Lazio. Maradona led the southern club to their only two Serie A titles in 1987 and 1990 as well as their only European title in 1989 when Napoli lifted the second-tier UEFA Cup.

Osimhen returned on Sunday in the second half of Napoli’s 0-0 draw with Hellas Verona in Serie A and showed immediately how dangerous he can be by rattling a shot off the crossbar.

“Osimhen has this physicality and speed whereby you can throw the ball up to him and he can protect it, use his head or use a change of pace,” Napoli coach Luciano Spalletti said. “He has so many different alternatives.”

Osimhen has been one of the top strikers in Europe this season with 25 goals in 29 appearances across all competitions.

At age 36, Giroud leads Milan with 12 goals in 37 games. But the France international had to sit out training on Sunday, possibly leaving coach Stefano Pioli to choose from Ante Rebic and Divock Origi as a replacement – with Zlatan Ibrahimovic also out injured.

“He’s OK and ready to play,” Pioli said of Giroud on Monday. “He had a minor problem during the week, but he’s gotten over it.”

Ismael Bennacer scored for Milan in the first leg, which also included two yellow cards to physical Napoli midfielder Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa.

Zambo Anguissa and Napoli’s top centre back, Kim Min-jae, who is suspended for accumulated cards, will both miss the second leg.

Milan also routed Napoli 4-0 in Serie A at the start of the month, but Osimhen missed that game, too.

In the day’s other game, Real Madrid take a 2-0 first-leg lead into their quarterfinal against Chelsea in London.