AC Milan held up for a 2-1 win over Napoli in the San Siro to go the top of the Serie A 2025-26 classification on target difference, after Christian Pulisic scored one and the other had created before the home team went to 10 men and allowed a penalty.
Champion Napoli dropped his first points of the season in a match in which Milan looked control during the break through goals from Alexis Saelemaekers and Pulisic, but the red card by Pervis Estupinan and the punishment of Kevin De Bruyne almost saved the visitor.
There is a three -way draw at the top with Milan, Napoli and AS Roma all on 12 points. Juventus is a point after the 1-1 draw with Atalanta on Saturday.
Napoli arrived in the San Siro with a defensive emergency – Alessandro BuongiNo, Amir Rrahmani, Leonardo Spinazzola and Mathias Olivera from injured – and Antonio Conte handed club debut to Miguel Gutierrez and Luca Marianucci.
Marianucci had a baptism of fire when Milan took the lead in the third minute after Pulisic gathered in his own half and stormed the wing.
Pulisic cut in the area, sliding past the challenge of Marianucci, hit the ball over the six-year box and Saelemaekers arrived on the rear post for the easiest tap-ins.
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Milan was satisfied to admit possession to the visitor, and the fast counterattacks of the home team were too much for Napoli to handle because it doubled his lead 14 minutes before the break.
Strahinja Pavlovic marched through the Napoli -Tijdlijn and in the box. He pulled the ball back for Youssouf Fofana, who hit a pass to Pulisic, whose bent shot flew along the wrong feet Alex Meret.
This season, Pulisic was of vital importance for the revival of Milan, with four goals in five league matches, while they also pay attention to both cup matches, including the midweek 3-0 win over Lecce, but his hard work against Napoli was almost undone.
Napoli received a life line when Pervis Estupinan Giovanni di Lorenzo polluted, which resulted in a penalty and a red card for the defender of Milan. De Bruyne converted and Milan lingered for another half an hour to play.
Milan manager Massimiliano Allegri introduced Rafael Leao and returned from an injury for his first competition performance of the season, but it was Napoli who emerged in waves who was desperately looking for an equalizer.
The best chances of Napoli came in extra time when a bent shot David Neres sipped the pole while Mike Maignan made an excellent salvation of a different effort from Neres.
The side of Allegri lost on the opening day of Cremonese, but has now won four league matches on the leap, and without European football to distract it, it could do well what Napoli did last season.
Published on September 29, 2025
