AC Milan crumbled in the second half as Piotr Zielinski and Dries Mertens inspired Napoli to a thrilling come-from-behind home win.
2018/2019 Serie A
3-2
Match Events
5' Great save from Donnarumma!
Mario Rui finds Callejon with a far-post cross, and the attacker centres the opportunity for Allan who puts it straight at Donnarumma from a point-blank position.
15' GOAL! Napoli 0-1 Milan (Bonaventura)
The San Paolo is silenced as Giacomo Bonaventura hits a sensational volley! The cross from Suso finds Borini on the left who centres the ball via header for Bonaventura.
The Rossoneri midfielder then hits a venomous strike while airborne to beat Ospina.
40' Callejon hits the side-netting
Zielinski wins the ball from Biglia in midfield and charges towards goal, striking towards Donnarumma at his first sight of the penalty area. A good decision – but not a great execution as the shot drifts wide.
49' GOAL! Napoli 0-2 Milan (Calabria)
Not known for his goal-scoring ability, Calabria has slotted the ball brilliantly between the legs of Koulibaly, and into the corner of the goal – just out of the grasp of Ospina – from the outer area of the penalty box.
The goal is all down to Suso as his control for the switched pass and the lay-off for Calabria were both picture-perfect. Another great goal from Milan who are now in control.
53' GOAL! Napoli 1-2 Milan (Zielinski)
The home side force themselves back in the match after a turnover in midfield gifts the ball to Napoli through Callejon, who squares it for Zielinski. The Poland midfielder hesitates and lets the ball roll before tucking it neatly in the bottom corner.
Jose Callejon has been very dangerous in this match, and his pressure finally pays with a nice assist for Zielinski's goal.
67' GOAL! Napoli 2-2 Milan (Zielinski)
Following an in-swinging corner, Bakayoko meets it with his head to clear the ball, but only to the top of the box for Zielinski who fires it back towards goal.
The ball manages to squirm past the mess of legs and into the back of the net! Game on!
80' GOAL! Napoli 3-2 Milan (Mertens)
Brilliant scenes at the San Paolo as substitute Dries Mertens gets on the end of a fantastic centring pass from Allan who gets into the penalty area following a brilliant run!
Donnarumma laid out to get to it, but the pass is put just out of reach and Mertens slots home in the empty goal.
Match Report
Napoli brilliantly recovered from two goals down to beat AC Milan 3-2 as Carlo Ancelotti got the better of his former employers at Stadio San Paolo on Saturday.
Piotr Zielinski scored twice in 14 second-half minutes before substitute Dries Mertens capped off the comeback to consign the Rossoneri to a deflating defeat in their first outing of the new Serie A season.
Gennaro Gattuso had appeared set to record a memorable victory over Ancelotti - under whom he won the Champions League twice as a player - when David Calabria doubled a lead earlier opened by Giacomo Bonaventura.
But the influential Zielinski soon took command of the contest with two fine finishes and the hosts' dominance was rewarded through Mertens' 80th-minute winner, continuing Napoli's unbeaten run in this fixture to eight Serie A meetings.
Line-ups
Napoli XI: Albiol, Hamsik, D. Ospina, Callejón, Allan, Insigne, Mário Rui, K. Koulibaly, Hysaj, P. Zieliński, A. Milik
Subs: Orestis Karnezis, D. Mertens, Chiriches, Maksimovic, Verdi, Malcuit, Sebastiano Luperto, Rog, Ounas, A.Diawara, D. Marfella
Milan XI: L. Biglia, G. Higuaín, Musacchio, Bonaventura, R. Rodríguez, Borini, Suso, Romagnoli, Calabria, Kessié, G. Donnarumma
Subs: Pepe Reina, Abate, Bertolacci, A. Donnarumma, Bakayoko, Simic, Castillejo, D. Laxalt, Halilovic, Mauri, Caldara, Cutrone