In the fifth matchday of the 2025/26 Serie A season, AC Milan hosted Napoli. Despite being sent off early in the second half, the Rossoneri ultimately triumphed 2-1.

AC Milan quickly took the initiative in the opening stages. In the 3rd minute, Christian Pulisic broke free from Luca Marianucci's defense, broke through to the left side of the penalty area, and then assisted Alexis Salemax to score from the far post, giving Milan the lead.

After falling behind by a goal, Napoli immediately launched a counterattack. In the 11th minute, Matteo Politano sent a cross from the right flank, and Miguel Gutierrez's header was blocked by Mike Maignan. Scott McTominay's follow-up shot was also saved by Maignan.

Meanwhile, Milan continued to press Napoli's defense. In the 27th minute, Pulisic sent a precise through ball from midfield, and Yussuf Fofana's shot went over the crossbar. However, Fofana assisted Pulisic to score with a powerful shot about four minutes after the missed opportunity, extending the lead to 2-0.

Milan entered the locker room with a two-goal lead at halftime. However, the game quickly deteriorated at the start of the second half: in the 54th minute, McTominay's header was saved by Maignan, and Pervis Estupiñán brought down Giovanni Di Lorenzo as he prepared to take a rebound. The referee immediately awarded a penalty, and after VAR intervention, Estupiñán was sent off. Kevin De Bruyne then converted the penalty to equalize for Napoli.

With an extra player, Napoli chose to launch a massive attack on Milan. In the 75th minute, Anguiza sent a cross from the right, and Di Lorenzo headed the ball just wide. In the 88th minute, Gutierrez assisted Noah Long's long-range shot, but it was saved by Maignan. In the 90th minute, David Neres' long-range shot hit the left post, missing a great equalizer opportunity.

After 90 minutes of fierce battle, ten-man AC Milan finally defeated Napoli 2-1. They also took the top spot in the Serie A standings, while Napoli temporarily ranked second.