Napoli–Milan: the EA SPORTS FC Supercup kicks off

The wait is over! The EA SPORTS FC Supercup 25 gets underway this evening at Al-Awwal Park Stadium with the first semifinal between Napoli and Milan. The rivalry that has been lighting up the league with dramatic overtakes continues in Saudi Arabia as well, with Inter — the other semifinalist — acting as the third contender. The Rossoneri, the defending champions, have a one-point lead over their opponents in Serie A Enilive and already defeated the Azzurri on September 28 thanks to goals from Alexis Saelemaekers and Cristian Pulisic (Kevin De Bruyne scored for the Partenopei).

HEAD-TO-HEAD

In 175 official confrontations between Napoli and Milan, the balance is 53 Napoli victories, 54 draws, 68 Milan victories. Napoli at their sixth participation in the Supercoppa, won in 1990/91 and 2014/15, beating Juventus on both occasions. Milan participates in the Supercoppa for the 14th time, emerging victorious on 8 occasions (1988/89, 1992/93, 1993/94, 1994/95, 2004/05, 2011/12, 2016/17 and 2024/25).

DID YOU KNOW?

No one has won more editions on penalties than Milan (2), victorious in 2016/17 against Juventus and in 1994/95 against Sampdoria. Milan won the first Supercoppa played abroad (the third in the Rossoneri's history): 1-0 for Capello's team over Torino on August 21, 1993 in Washington D.C.

COACHES and PLAYERS

Di Lorenzo, Mario Rui and Politano are Napoli's most present players in the competition, with 3 appearances each. Napoli's best scorers in the Supercoppa are Careca, Higuain, Silenzi and Zerbin, all with 2 goals and all authors of braces. Costacurta and Maldini are Milan's most present players in the competition, with 6 appearances each. Milan's best scorer in the Supercoppa is Shevchenko with 3 goals, the only scorer of a hattrick in the tournament, in Milan-Lazio 3-0 of the 2004/05 edition. In 10 official meetings between Antonio Conte and Massimiliano Allegri, the Napoli coach has recorded 5 wins, compared to 3 for the Milan coach, with 2 draws. Antonio Conte will be taking charge in the Supercoppa for the third time as a head coach. He won both of his previous appearances, in the 2012/13 and 2013/14 editions (the latter with Massimo Carrera on the Juventus bench). As a player, Antonio Conte made 2 appearances in the competition, both for Juventus. He scored 1 goal and won the 1995/96 and 1997/98 editions. Massimiliano Allegri will be taking charge in the Supercoppa for the eighth time as a head coach. Across his 7 previous appearances, he won 3 times (2011/12 with Milan; 2015/16 and 2018/19 with Juventus) and lost the other 4.

DISCIPLINE

Suspended: none Cautioned: none

REFEREE

ZUFFERLI (IMPERIALE – ROSSI M.) IV: PEZZUTO, VAR: AURELIANO, AVAR: DIONISI

UPCOMING MATCHES

Milan-Verona (Sunday, December 28, 12.30 CET) Cremonese-Napoli (Sunday, December 28, 15.00 CET) (Photo Getty Images + LaPresse)