Pulisic inspires 10-man AC Milan past Napoli to claim Serie A summit

AC Milan moved to the top of Serie A with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over champions Napoli at San Siro, despite playing the final half-hour with ten men. The result takes Milan to 12 points, level with Napoli and Roma but ahead on goal difference, underlining their title credentials early in the season.

Christian Pulisic was the standout performer, setting up Alexis Saelemaekers for the opener inside three minutes before adding a composed finish himself on the half-hour mark. The United States forward, who now has six goals across competitions this term, left the pitch to a standing ovation late on.

Napoli were handed a lifeline when Kevin De Bruyne converted a penalty after Pervis Estupiñán’s dismissal for denying a clear scoring opportunity. Antonio Conte’s side pressed relentlessly in the closing stages, with David Neres striking the post deep into stoppage time, but Milan held firm to secure a fourth successive league win.

“What we did out there today was incredible,” Pulisic said after the match. “The manager has done really well to bring out the best in all of us. We’ve got a lot of quality and we showed that tonight.”

Conte admitted his side had left themselves with too much to do. “It wasn’t easy after conceding so early,” he said. “We pressed high and created chances, but we must defend better. We’re allowing goals that can be avoided.”

Elsewhere, Roma moved briefly into second with a 2-0 win over Verona, thanks to goals from Artem Dovbyk and Matias Soule, while Fiorentina and newly promoted Pisa battled to a goalless draw after VAR ruled out Henrik Meister’s strike. Pisa remain winless in their first Serie A campaign since 1991.

Teenage striker Francesco Camarda also grabbed headlines by scoring his first Serie A goal for Lecce. The 17-year-old’s late header salvaged a 2-2 draw against Bologna, adding further drama to an action-packed weekend in Italy’s top flight.