Pulisic Magic! Milan Survive Red Card to Beat Napoli

A night of drama at San Siro saw Christian Pulisic shine with a goal and an assist, Alexis Saelemaekers find the net, and AC Milan survive a red card to beat Napoli 2-1 in Serie A.

Lightning Start

The Rossoneri couldn’t have asked for a better opening. Just three minutes in, Pulisic sprinted from deep, shrugged off Luca Marianucci, and squared the ball for Saelemaekers to finish into an empty net. San Siro roared.

Napoli responded with intent. Mike Maignan denied Miguel Gutierrez and Scott McTominay in quick succession, proving why he’s one of the best shot-stoppers in the league.

Pulisic Doubles the Lead

Despite Napoli’s pressure, Milan carried the bigger punch. Pulisic was everywhere — this time linking up with Youssouf Fofana before sliding into space. Strahinja Pavlovic bulldozed down the flank, Fofana teed it up, and Pulisic calmly swept home from close range. At 2-0, the American’s celebration said it all.

Napoli still threatened before halftime, with Giovanni Di Lorenzo testing Maignan and Anguissa missing a free header, but the Rossoneri went into the break in control.

Red Card Turns the Tide

The second half flipped the script. Pervis Estupiñán pulled Di Lorenzo back inside the box and, after a VAR check, was shown a straight red card. Kevin De Bruyne stepped up and sent Maignan the wrong way from the spot to pull one back. Suddenly, it was game on.

Napoli, a man up, poured forward. Noa Lang cut inside for a shot, David Neres rattled the crossbar with a thunderbolt, and Maignan was forced into multiple late saves. Milan hearts were in mouths, especially after losing Fikayo Tomori to injury and watching Rafael Leão waste a counter-attack.

Holding Firm

In stoppage time, Neres unleashed another curling strike, only for Maignan to tip it wide. When the final whistle blew, Milan players dropped to the turf in exhaustion and relief.

Pulisic’s brilliance had built the lead, Estupiñán’s mistake had nearly undone it, but Milan showed grit to grind out their fifth straight win in all competitions. For Napoli, the perfect league record is gone, and questions remain after a night of missed chances.

Final score: Milan 2–1 Napoli.