HEROIC DISPLAY PUTS MILAN ON TOP

Milan emerged with a gritty 2-1 win over Napoli this evening, holding on bravely after being reduced to 10 men early in the second half. It’s a big three points and a statement of character and intent by Allegri’s side.

Starting Line-ups & Formation

AC Milan (3-5-2)

Allegri reverted back to the same XI that defeated Udinese 3-0 last Saturday, with Pulisic and Gimenez forming the attack. Rafael Leao meanwhile made his eagerly anticipated return to the matchday squad, taking his place amongst the substitutes.

Starting XI:

Mike Maignan; Fikayo Tomori, Matteo Gabbia, Strahinja Pavlović; Alexis Saelemaekers, Youssouf Fofana, Luka Modrić, Adrien Rabiot, Pervis Estupiñán; Christian Pulisic, Santiago Giménez.

Subs used / Bench highlights: Rafael Leão returned on the bench and was introduced on 69 minutes; also coming on in the second half were Loftus-Cheek, Athekame, Bartesaghi and De Winter.

Key Events & Turning Points

• Strong Start: Milan struck early. Within three minutes, Pulisic delivered a slick run and pass that set up Alexis Saelemaekers to score. That early goal settled Milan’s nerves and allowed them to build momentum.
• Second Goal & Control: Around the 30-minute mark, after careful build-up down the flanks and from midfield, Milan doubled the lead through Pulisic — a finish aided by clever movement and slight deflection, following excellent work from Fofana and Pavlović. At this stage Milan looked in control.
• Red Card / Penalty: Early in the second half, Pervis Estupiñán committed a foul on Giovanni Di Lorenzo inside the penalty area. The referee initially showed a yellow, but after VAR review this was upgraded to a red, with a penalty awarded. Kevin De Bruyne scored from the spot for Napoli to give them a foothold in the game.
• Defensive Resilience: Once down to 10 men, Milan came under intense pressure. Napoli pushed hard, especially in the final 20 minutes and in stoppage time. Key interventions, good defending from midfield and the back-line and crucially, some superb goalkeeping from Maignan, ensured the lead was held. A heroic performance.

Player Performances & Tactical Notes

• Christian Pulisic: The standout once again. A direct threat all evening, especially early on and in that second goal. He not only scored but created chances; his movement unsettled Napoli’s defence. Was sacrificed after the red card.
• Midfield Anchor & Creators: Modrić and Fofana did well in forging link-ups, helping Milan transition from defence to attack. Rabiot provided stability. Saelemaekers and Estupiñán on the wings offered width, with the former setting Milan on their way with a goal inside 3 minutes.
• Defensive work: Pavlović, Gabbia and Tomori had to step up, especially after the sending off. Despite the numerical disadvantage, the defensive shape was disciplined. Maignan made some important saves when pressure was at its peak.

Implications & Takeaways

• Table impact: This win puts Milan top of Serie A (on goal difference) alongside Napoli and Roma. Momentum is very much with Milan heading into the international break.
• Mental toughness: Suffering through a red card and still maintaining composure shows growth under Allegri. Knowing how to absorb pressure will be vital in tight games.
• Strength in depth: Bench options like Leão, Nkunku, Loftus-Cheek give Allegri options, though tonight needed more defensive discipline after becoming a man down.

Areas to Improve / What Didn’t Go So Well

• Dependency on Pulisic for offensive spark is clear; needing others to step up to share the creative load will help when he’s off or marked tightly. Santiago Gimenez was again below par. Nkunku has to be pushing for a start soon.
• Apart from that, it is hard to fault such a gutsy performance from Allegri's men. They'll need to maintain that level of grit and determination next week against Juventus.

Final Word

From a Milan perspective, this was a morale-boosting victory. The team combined attacking ambition with defensive grit, and showed it can grind out results against the elite of this league when required. If they keep up that mix, they’ll stay in the title conversation all season. Of that there is no doubt.

Conte said that this wasn't a Scudetto deciding fixture - of course at such an early stage of the season he's right. But after inflicting Napoli's first league defeat since February, it is a statement of intent from Milan. If they can follow this up with a result against Juventus next week, the footballing world will certainly start to take note.