Pulisic magic leaves Milan wondering what American can do when fully fit after he destroys Napoli

MILAN (AP) — A fully fit Christian Pulisic will be feared by every Serie A team after the United States international led AC Milan to a 2-1 win over defending champion Napoli on Sunday.

It was Napoli’s first loss of the season.

Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri had said shortly before kickoff that Pulisic was not in the best shape but the American lit up San Siro and had a goal and an assist before he had to be sacrificed when his team was reduced to 10 men early in the second half.

It was Pulisic’s sixth goal in seven matches this season for Milan.

Milan and Napoli top the Serie A standings with 12 points along with Roma after the capital side beat Hellas Verona 2-0.

The match was billed as an early season title battle and it was also the first meeting in more than 11 years between two of the most successful Italian coaches in Allegri and Napoli counterpart Antonio Conte.

Milan got off to the perfect start as it took the lead after less than 150 seconds thanks to some magic from Pulisic. The American evaded Luca Marianucci to race from his own half down the left and keep the ball from going out. He cut in and went past the Napoli defender again to roll the ball across for Saelemaekers to tap in.

Milan should have doubled its lead through Pulisic's superb throughball but Youssouf Fofana fired over.

Pulisic got on the scoresheet himself in the 31st minute. This time it was Strahinja Pavlovic who was allowed to surge forward and he rode a couple of weak challenges before pulling back for Fofana, who touched it on for Pulisic to sweep home.

Milan appeared to be heading for a surprisingly comfortable win but made matters harder for itself when defender Pervis Estupiñán needlessly gave away a penalty and was sent off for dragging back Napoli captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo in the area.

Kevin De Bruyne converted the penalty for his third goal in five matches since joining Napoli on a free transfer from Manchester City.

With Milan down to 10 men and needing to protect a slender need, Pulisic was taken off for defender Davide Bartesaghi, going off to a standing ovation at San Siro.

Artem Dovbyk scored his first goal of the season on his first start for Roma but Verona was left to rue one of the misses of the season.

Gian Piero Gasperini continued his almost perfect start to life in the Italian capital — after nine years in charge of Atalanta — by winning all but one of his six matches in charge of Roma.

Dovbyk headed Zeki Celik’s cross into the bottom right corner in the seventh minute and Matías Soulé sealed the match late on.

But Verona wasted a number of opportunities to level, including in the 28th minute. Domagoj Bradaric’s low cross was deflected into the path of an unmarked Gift Orban, who just had to cushion the ball into an empty goal but instead he hit the crossbar.

Teenager Francesco Camarda scored a debut Serie A goal deep in stoppage time to rescue a 2-2 draw for Lecce at home to Bologna.

The 17-year-old, who is on loan from Milan, ripped off his jersey in celebration and was duly booked.

It was only Lecce's second point of the season.

Fiorentina forward Moise Kean had two goals disallowed for offside in an entertaining 0-0 draw in a derby match at Pisa, which also had a goal ruled out for handball.

Sassuolo beat Udinese 3-1.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Napoli's head coach Antonio Conte leaves the pitch after the Serie A soccer match between AC Milan and Napoli at the San Siro stadium in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

AC Milan's head coach Massimiliano Allegri reacts during the Serie A soccer match between AC Milan and Napoli at the San Siro stadium in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

AC Milan's Christian Pulisic, centre, celebrates after scoring his side's second goal past Napoli's goalkeeper Alex Meret during the Serie A soccer match between AC Milan and Napoli at the San Siro stadium in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

AC Milan's Christian Pulisic celebrates after the Serie A soccer match between AC Milan and Napoli at the San Siro stadium in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

Pisa's Antonio Caracciolo, right, and Fiorentina's Moise Kean in action during the Serie A soccer match between Pisa and Fiorentina at the Cetilar Arena Romeo Anconetani Stadium in Pisa, Italy, Sunday Sept. 28, 2025. (Alessandro La Rocca/LaPresse via AP)

Roma's goalkeeper Mile Svilar, center, saves a shot by Verona's Gift Orban during the Serie A soccer match between Roma and Verona at Rome's Olympic Stadium, Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Roma's head coach Gian Piero Gasperini gestures during the Serie A soccer match between Roma and Verona at the Olympic Stadium, in Rome, Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Roma's Artem Dovbyk celebrates after scoring during the Serie A soccer match between Roma and Verona at Rome¥s Olympic Stadium, Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Kelly Pannek was so determined to carve out a future in hockey while still at college, the forward made the conscious decision to sacrifice offense to focus on her shutdown skills.

The choice led to Pannek becoming a U.S. national team fixture as a three-time Olympian, beginning in 2018, and establish herself as one of women's hockey's best defensive forwards.

Some eight years later, Pannek discovered she hasn’t lost her scoring touch in closing her third PWHL season with Minnesota.

In a league featuring proven offensive stars in Hilary Knight and Marie-Philip Poulin, and teammates Taylor Heise and Kendall Coyne Schofield, Pannek topped them all as the two-time defending Walter Cup champion Frost open the playoffs at Montreal on Saturday.

Pannek led the PWHL with 16 goals and a league-record 33 points, and was one assist from completing what would have been rare hockey triple crown — for men or women.

“I think more than anything, it’s reassuring and confidence-building to know that I used to be someone who was often relied on to provide offense for teams, and I still am that player,” Pannek said by phone this week. “I just needed to kind of re-find it, I guess.”

Her 33 points in 30 games this year surpassed her total production in her first two seasons, when she combined for seven goals and 27 points in 54 games.

And the offensive output didn’t hinder Pannek’s defensive play.

She finished sixth in the PWHL with a plus-13 plus-minus rating. She also won 341 of 575 faceoffs for a 59.3% success rate, third among players with 200 or more attempts.

“I don’t want to say no, because I think she’s a great player,” Frost coach Ken Klee said when asked whether he expected this much production from Pannek.

“From the beginning of the year, she seemed different. Our very first coach’s meeting, we had her in the office, and she just seemed lighter, she seemed more energetic," Klee added. “I really think she just said, ‘Hey, I’m going to play free, and if it's time to play offense, I'm going to play offense.' She's just really taken a next step.”

There are several reasons behind Pannek flipping the offensive switch.

An offseason roster shake-up caused by Minnesota losing talent in the expansion process led to Pannek realizing she was going to have to contribute more offensively.

Another factor was Pannek growing in confidence while turning 30 in December.

In her early Team USA days, Pannek stuck to defense and shied away from opening up on offense in fear of making mistakes that could cost her ice time or even her roster spot.

In the PWHL, Pannek came to realize she had more job security and, with it, the leeway to make a mistake or two over a 30-game season, as opposed to the pressure that comes with competing in two-week international tournaments where miscues are magnified.

“There’s a lot of implications with points and stuff on the line, but you also accept that you’re going to make mistakes, and goals are going to go in and it’s not life or death,” Pannek said of PWHL play. “I’ll still be on the team if I have a bad game and if I have a great game. ... So I think a lot of it was a little bit of a mentality shift.”

She's had far more good games than bad, and called this season “invigorating.”

Former U.S. star Meghan Duggan is not surprised by Pannek’s development: “She always had it in her, but it just started to come out as of late.”

What stood out to Duggan was the maturity and reliability Pannek brought to the ice even as a 22-year-old.

“Kelly Pannek is a player I would choose 10 times out of 10 to go into the biggest game with right by my side, because I know what she’s going to bring: stability, predictability, high character,” said Duggan, now the New Jersey Devils' player development director. “Kelly to me is the type of player that you win championships with, and she's done that multiple times.”

Pannek was a two-way star during her four college seasons at Minnesota, where she won two national titles and finished with 72 goals and 186 points in 157 career games. At the Olympics, she won gold in 2018 and 2026, along with a silver in 2022.

“I’ve changed as a player over these last almost eight years, but also my role has changed,” Pannek said. “I pride myself on being someone who can do any role up and down the lineup.”

Today, her sole focus is on the upcoming playoffs.

“Whatever it takes," Pannek said. “If I have zero points the rest of the playoffs and we win — it’s all about the winning.”

AP women’s hockey: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-hockey

Minnesota Frost's Kelly Pannek (12) celebrates with teammates after her goal against the Vancouver Goldeneyes during the third period of a PWHL hockey game in Vancouver, British Columbia, Saturday, April 25, 2026. (Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press via AP)