The Milan vs. Napoli match was promoted as a clash between two “Masters of Midfield,” Luka Modrić and Kevin De Bruyne—two defining talents of their generation who both joined Serie A this summer. Together, they have won 58 trophies, including Champions League, La Liga, and Premier League titles.
Are they past their prime? Perhaps. But are they over the hill? Far from it. At 40, Modrić started Milan’s first four league games, recording more touches (329) and creating more chances (19, per fbref.com) than any of his teammates. De Bruyne, 34, was Napoli’s only player with more than one goal so far this season, scoring in wins over Sassuolo and Fiorentina.
Even those stats don’t tell the full story. Modrić’s jersey quickly became Milan’s top seller, overtaking Rafael Leão’s, partly because he voiced what fans wanted to hear. “Milan can’t settle for mediocrity,” he said upon signing. “The club must aim high: winning titles and competing with the world’s best.”
That’s a bold statement for a team that finished eighth last season. Though they’ve since brought back Massimiliano Allegri to replace Sérgio Conceição, expectations remained low when CEO George Furlani said in June there was “no need for a revolution” in the squad. Maybe Modrić helped change his mind.
By the end of the summer transfer window, only nine of the 27 players from last season’s squad remained. New sporting director Igli Tare overhauled the roster, letting go of players like Tijjani Reijnders, Theo Hernández, and Malick Thiaw, while adding Modrić, Adrien Rabiot, Pervis Estupiñán, Ardon Jashari, Samuele Ricci, and Christopher Nkunku.
But it wasn’t just new signings that transformed the team—familiar faces also stepped up. Alexis Saelemaekers, back from a loan at Roma, started as right wing-back in Allegri’s 3-5-2, while Christian Pulisic moved into a second striker role.
Despite all the pre-match focus on Modrić and De Bruyne, it was Saelemaekers and Pulisic who shaped Sunday’s game, combining for a third-minute goal. Pulisic received a pass from Estupiñán in Milan’s half, sprinted 50 yards past Luca Marianucci, and squared the ball for Saelemaekers to finish.
Napoli arrived at San Siro with four wins from their first four Serie A matches, but showed signs of vulnerability. A disappointing Champions League display against Manchester City—marked by an early red card for Giovanni Di Lorenzo—was followed by a shaky 3-2 home win over Pisa.
Saelemaekers’ early goal let Milan dictate the tempo. Both teams prefer to stay compact and capitalize on opponents who overcommit, and Milan were content to sit back and let Napoli come at them.
A second goal on the counter seemed inevitable, but Milan scored in a more routine fashion, exposing slack defending. Strahinja Pavlovic was easily beaten down the left before crossing to an unmarked Youssouf Fofana, who set up Pulisic to fire home.
Napoli were handed a lifeline early in the second half when Estupiñán conceded a penalty by pulling back Di Lorenzo as he chased a rebound from Scott McTominay’s header. The former Brighton player was sent off.Following a VAR review, De Bruyne calmly slotted his penalty into the bottom corner, pulling Napoli back into the game at 2-1. With half an hour still to play, the champions failed to capitalize on their numerical advantage. Milan defended resolutely, and Napoli struggled to break them down. Their best chances for an equalizer came from two long-range efforts by David Neres in stoppage time.
Massimiliano Allegri’s team is now level on points with Napoli and Roma. Did Antonio Conte make a mistake with his substitutions? He replaced De Bruyne, McTominay, and Rasmus Højlund all at once in the 73rd minute, followed shortly by Matteo Politano. While these were like-for-like swaps with capable bench players, it seemed Conte might have been thinking ahead to Wednesday’s Champions League match against Sporting. His initial lineup had already raised questions, as starting center-back Sam Beukema was rested despite injuries to alternatives Amir Rrahmani and Alessandro Buongiorno, along with Napoli’s top two left-backs.
De Bruyne appeared unhappy about being substituted, exchanging angry words with the manager and refusing a handshake on his way to the bench. Conte later commented, “I hope that was him showing frustration with the scoreline. If not, he’s got the wrong person.” In contrast, Modric, whom some had written off as too old to contribute, fought until the final whistle. He headed Neres’s first stoppage-time shot onto the crossbar and had the last touch of the game, booting the ball out of play after being told off for urging the referee to check his watch.
Modric led the celebrations, roaring and embracing his teammates. While his on-ball skills are mesmerizing—highlight reels of his touches remain popular online—his passion after the game was just as thrilling, showing his enduring love for the sport, teamwork, and winning.
The victory lifted Milan to the top of the table, tied with Napoli and Roma on 12 points. Is it too early to consider them title contenders? Allegri remarked that his team “still needs 64 points to qualify for the Champions League,” a precise and quirky way of emphasizing how young the season is.
Serie A results:
Cagliari 0-2 Inter, Como 1-1 Cremonese, Juventus 1-1 Atalanta, Lecce 2-2 Bologna, Milan 2-1 Napoli, Pisa 0-0 Fiorentina, Roma 2-0 Verona, Sassuolo 3-1 Udinese
Monday: Parma v Torino (5.30pm BST), Genoa v Lazio (7.45pm)
Early signs under Allegri are encouraging. Fikayo Tomori mentioned before the match how the manager has reinstalled defensive structure, discouraging players from chasing the ball and focusing on maintaining shape. It’s a classic Allegri approach: solid defending paired with trusting skilled attackers to create chances. A viral clip of Leão, who came on as a late substitute, dribbling past six Napoli players highlighted the team’s potential to be more dangerous in attack. The Portuguese forward was making his first league appearance of the season after recovering from a calf injury.
Despite the intrigue surrounding Milan’s revamped squad, their greatest…This summer’s best upgrade might have been the return of Allegri, 14 years after he won his first Serie A title with the club. He then took over from Conte at Juventus, where he added five more league titles.
Together, these two managers have won 11 of the last 15 Scudetti. It wouldn’t be surprising if one of them lifts the trophy again this season. Allegri now benefits from the same situation Conte had last year: leading a team that missed out on European competition and can concentrate fully on domestic glory. Plus, having Luka Modric in the squad is certainly an advantage.
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|—–|————-|—-|—-|—–|
| 1 | AC Milan | 5 | 6 | 12 |
| 2 | Napoli | 5 | 5 | 12 |
| 3 | Roma | 5 | 4 | 12 |
| 4 | Juventus | 5 | 4 | 11 |
| 5 | Inter Milan | 5 | 6 | 9 |
| 6 | Atalanta | 5 | 6 | 9 |
| 7 | Cremonese | 5 | 2 | 9 |
| 8 | Como | 5 | 2 | 8 |
| 9 | Bologna | 5 | 0 | 7 |
| 10 | Cagliari | 5 | 0 | 7 |
| 11 | Udinese | 5 | -3 | 7 |
| 12 | Sassuolo | 5 | -1 | 6 |
| 13 | Torino | 4 | -7 | 4 |
| 14 | Lazio | 4 | 0 | 3 |
| 15 | Fiorentina | 5 | -3 | 3 |
| 16 | Verona | 5 | -6 | 3 |
| 17 | Genoa | 4 | -2 | 2 |
| 18 | Parma | 4 | -4 | 2 |
| 19 | Pisa | 5 | -3 | 2 |
| 20 | Lecce | 5 | -6 | 2 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Of course Here is a list of FAQs about the headline Modric grins while De Bruyne fumes as a reshaped Milan side withstands Napolis pressure
General Beginner Questions
Q1 What is this headline referring to
A Its referring to a soccer match likely a video game scenario from a game like FIFA or eFootball where AC Milan played against Napoli
Q2 Who are Modric and De Bruyne
A Luka Modri and Kevin De Bruyne are two of the worlds best reallife midfielders Modri plays for Real Madrid and De Bruyne plays for Manchester City
Q3 Why would Modric be grinning and De Bruyne be fuming
A In this context it suggests Modris team was winning or he personally played well making him happy De Bruyne was likely on the losing team or frustrated by his teams performance
Q4 What does a reshaped Milan side mean
A It means the AC Milan team in the game has been significantly changed from its reallife lineup probably with new players added through transfers or custom tactics
Q5 What does withstand Napolis pressure mean in soccer
A It means AC Milan defended successfully against Napolis constant attacks and scoring attempts without conceding a goal
Advanced Strategic Questions
Q6 This seems like a video game scenario How do you reshape a team in a soccer game
A You can reshape a team by using ingame currency to buy new players changing the formation and tactics or adjusting individual player instructions to suit your playstyle
Q7 What kind of ingame tactics help a team withstand pressure like Milan did
A Effective tactics include setting a defensive mentality using a formation with more defenders instructing players to Drop Back on defense and using fast players for counterattacks
Q8 Why are players like Modric and De Bruyne so highly valued in these games
