Serie A: Napoli Player Ratings vs AC Milan – De Bruyne Impressive, Others Disappoint

Napoli suffered their first defeat of the 2025/26 Serie A season as Milan overcame being reduced to ten men to claim a 2-1 win at San Siro. Antonio Conte’s side lost their 100% league start on Sunday night in what turned out to be a frustrating evening for the Partenopei.

Milan put Napoli under pressure right from the opening whistle. Alexis Saelemaekers broke the deadlock inside three minutes, immediately putting the visitors on the back foot. Despite creating a few promising chances, Napoli went into the break trailing 2-0.

Christian Pulisic doubled Milan’s advantage in the 31st minute, and at that point, it looked like a comfortable three points for the Rossoneri. However, early in the second half, Pervis Estupiñán handed Napoli a lifeline.

The Colombian wing-back not only conceded a penalty for a reckless tackle on Giovanni Di Lorenzo, but also received a straight red card. Kevin De Bruyne stepped up and made no mistake from the spot, shifting the momentum in Napoli’s favor. But despite playing with an extra man for the remainder of the match, the visitors were unable to break down Milan’s resilient defense.

Milan was able to take the lead in Serie A thanks to the outcome.  Here are our rankings of the Napoli players without further ado:

Napoli (4-1-4-1)

Alex Meret – 3/10
A night to forget for the Italian goalkeeper. Beaten twice from Milan’s first three shots on target, he looked shaky throughout. No surprise if Vanya Milinković-Savić replaces him in the midweek Champions League clash.

Giovanni Di Lorenzo – 6/10
Despite winning the penalty, the captain endured a tough night. Pulisic tormented him on the wing and repeatedly got the better of him.

Luca Marianucci – 4/10
A disappointing debut for the former Empoli man. Pulisic dribbled past him to set up the opening goal for Saelemaekers, and he was again slow to react when the USMNT forward netted Milan’s second.

Juan Jesus – 5/10
Not as poor as his defensive partner, but still below par. The Brazilian was late to close down Youssouf Fofana, who fortunately for Napoli blasted his shot over the bar from a promising position.

Miguel Gutiérrez – 7/10
Far more involved in attacking play than Di Lorenzo. The Spaniard was everywhere in the final third, sending in several dangerous crosses, though his accuracy often let him down.

Stanislav Lobotka – 5/10
Supposed to be the anchor in midfield, but the Slovak failed to provide stability and looked overwhelmed at San Siro.

Matteo Politano – 7/10
One of the few bright sparks. Looked sharp against Estupiñán and made plenty of progressive runs down the right, but couldn’t really trouble Mike Maignan in goal.

André-Frank Zambo Anguissa – 6/10
By his own standards, a quiet outing. Too safe in possession, reluctant to take risks even when Napoli needed urgency.

Kevin De Bruyne – 7/10
Coolly converted the penalty to give his side hope. Without that moment, his performance would have looked far less impactful, much like Anguissa’s.

Scott McTominay – 6/10
Last season’s Serie A MVP saw an early effort saved by Maignan but faded as the game wore on, failing to create serious danger afterwards.

Rasmus Højlund – 4/10
Completely isolated up front, the Danish striker endured a frustrating night with little service and minimal impact.

Substitutes

Eljif Elmas – 6/10
Brought some energy but couldn’t change the course of the game.

Lorenzo Lucca – 4/10
Struggled to get involved after coming on, ineffective in attack.

David Neres – 6/10
Added some flair, but Milan’s defense remained firm.

Noa Lang – 5/10
Looked lively in moments but lacked the cutting edge to truly trouble Milan.

Overall, while De Bruyne tried to inspire Napoli, the lack of support from his teammates proved decisive in their defeat to Milan