Napoli left the San Siro with a heavy heart after succumbing to a narrow defeat against Milan in the round 5 match of Serie A. The home side took an early lead when Alexis Saelemaekers scored in the 2nd minute. Christian Pulisic extended their advantage to 2-0 with a goal in the 30th minute, taking advantage of a well-placed ball from Youssouf Fofana.
In the second half, Napoli fought back and reduced the deficit with a penalty from Kevin De Bruyne in the 59th minute. Despite their persistent pressure, they were unable to find an equalizer, with David Neres hitting the post in the dying moments of the game.
Christian Pulisic’s performance was a highlight for Milan as he managed to find the back of the net, igniting fervor amongst the fans at San Siro.
Milan’s coach, Massimiliano Allegri, opted for a 3-5-2 formation, featuring Mike Maignan in goal, with Fikayo Tomori, Matteo Gabbia, and Strahinja Pavlovic in defense. The midfield was constituted of Alexis Saelemaekers, Youssouf Fofana, Luka Modric, Adrien Rabiot, and Pervis Estupiñán, while Santiago Giménez and Christian Pulisic led the attack.
In contrast, Napoli, led by Antonio Conte, utilized a 4-5-1 formation with Alex Meret in goal and a defensive line made up of Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Luca Marianucci, Juan Jesus, and Miguel Gutiérrez. The midfield consisted of Stanislav Lobotka, Matteo Politano, Frank Anguissa, Kevin De Bruyne, and Scott McTominay, while Rasmus Hojlund spearheaded their offensive efforts.
The match referee, Daniele Chiffi, oversaw the action. Following this defeat, Milan will face Juventus in their next match, while Napoli will host Genoa.
Currently, Milan sits at the top of the league table with 12 points, with Napoli closely trailing in second place, also accumulating 12 points.
Substitutions for Milan
58’ 2T – Christian Pulisic out for Davide Bartesaghi
67’ 2T – Santiago Giménez out for Rafael Leão; Alexis Saelemaekers out for Zachary Athekame
78’ 2T – Fikayo Tomori out for Koni De Winter
79’ 2T – Youssouf Fofana out for Ruben Loftus-Cheek
Yellow Card for Milan:
44’ 2T – Adrien Rabiot
Red Card for Milan:
53’ 2T – Pervis Estupiñán (Straight Red)
Substitutions for Napoli
71’ 2T – Kevin De Bruyne out for Eljif Elmas; Scott McTominay out for David Neres; Rasmus Hojlund out for Lorenzo Lucca
76’ 2T – Matteo Politano out for Noa Lang
92’ 2T – Stanislav Lobotka out for Billy Gilmour