AC Milan vs Napoli Review
AC Milan defeated Napoli 2-1 despite being down to 10 players for the last half hour at the San Siro. This win puts them level with Napoli and Roma at the top of the Serie A standings with 12 points. The Rossoneri started perfectly, largely thanks to Christian Pulisic’s continued strong form this season. The American sprinted past Luca Marianucci and crossed the ball to the far post, where Alexis Saelemaekers was ready to score just three minutes into the game. On the other side, Mike Maignan made saves from a Miguel Gutiérrez header and a curling shot by Scott McTominay when Napoli created their first significant chances in the 11th minute.
Strahinja Pavlović nearly managed to direct his improvised shot on goal, but Napoli were also pushing forward, with André-Frank Zambo Anguissa blasting a shot over the bar. Youssouf Fofana missed the chance to finish a quick Milan counterattack, but he soon assisted the hosts’ second goal. He received Pavlović’s pass and immediately laid it off for Pulisic, who scored with a deflection off Juan Jesus, bringing his tally to four goals this season and placing him at the top of the Serie A scoring chart. Saelemaekers then fired a powerful shot that Alex Meret saved, while Giovanni Di Lorenzo and Anguissa missed chances before halftime.
After a promising first half for Milan, the second period brought a setback when Maignan saved Anguissa’s header but deflected the ball to Di Lorenzo, who was fouled by Pervis Estupiñán. Estupiñán received a red card and conceded a penalty, which Kevin De Bruyne calmly converted to narrow the deficit. Pulisic was substituted for Davide Bartesaghi as the game turned into a battle between Milan’s defensive strength and Napoli’s patient ball control. Di Lorenzo headed a shot wide, and Milan faced another problem when Fikayo Tomori had to leave the field due to injury.
Nevertheless, Adrien Rabiot demonstrated Milan’s resolve by blocking Eljif Elmas’ shot, and Luka Modrić deflected David Neres’ attempt onto the post. These efforts were sufficient for the Rossoneri to hold on through seven minutes of added time, securing their fourth straight Serie A victory and moving to the top of the standings. Additionally, they ended Napoli’s 16-match unbeaten streak in the league, which was the longest active run in Europe’s top five leagues.
