 In his next match, Silva was rated as the best player in Milan's 2–1 victory over Sampdoria in the Coppa Italia quarter-final.The midfield "experiment" continued in a 0–0 draw against Lazio, though this time, Silva was compared to another legendary Milan midfielder, Frank Rijkaard.Silva was lauded by Italian media for his display against Napoli, marking-out star striker Edinson Cavani.