Scott McTominay's VAR drama can't save Napoli on bad night for ex-Man Utd men as Serie A top spot relinquished

The defending champions had kicked off this campaign with four straight wins going into the Sunday night clash with Milan, but found the going tough against Max Allegri’s men, who held on for victory despite playing most of the second half with ten men.

Napoli needed to dig in on Monday to defeat Pisa 3-2 at home, but Antonio Conte’s side did not have enough in the tank to stage a comeback after trailing 2-0 at the break thanks to goals from Alexis Saelemaekers and Christian Pulisic.

They were given a helping hand on 55 minutes when AC Milan full-back Pervis Estupinan was sent off for denying Matteo Politano a clear goalscoring opportunity after McTominay’s header had been brilliantly saved by Mike Maignan. After it was deemed that the Scot was onside when taking his attempt, VAR recommended that Estupinan should be sent off and Kevin de Bruyne coolly converted.

Despite Napoli pressure, they were unable to find a leveller. Both McTominay, De Bruyne and main striker Rasmus Hojlund were subbed off on 72 minutes on what was a largely difficult night for the ex-Man Utd and Man City trio.

Another Scotland internationalist in former Rangers youth Billy Gilmour, who scored his first goal for Napoli against Pisa, was brought on in stoppage time, but he was unable to spark a leveller.

AC Milan now lead Serie A

The result means that AC Milan leap above Napoli by virtue of the head-to-head record, with both sides on 12 points. Roma also have the same number of points and sit third, with Juventus fourth on 11 points.

Napoli have a Champions League match against Sporting CP at home on Wednesday before welcoming Genoa to Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on Sunday before the international break, with McTominay and Gilmour both expected to be named in Steve Clarke’s Scotland squad on Tuesday for the World Cup qualifiers against Greece and Belarus next month.

McTominay and Gilmour were not the only Scots involved in what was a busy Sunday in Serie A.

In the early kick-off, Josh Doig’s Sassuolo got the better of Lennon Miller’s Udinese as the hosts won 3-1 at Mapei Stadium, with the newly-promoted side picking up only their second win of the Serie A campaign.

Doig played the full 90 minutes at left-back for Sassuolo, while Miller came on at half-time with Udinese already trailing 2-0. However, the 19-year-old - who scored his first goal for his new club during the midweek in the Coppa Italia - could not spark a comeback in only I Bianconeri’s second defeat of the campaign.

There was also a tale of despair for Scotland and Bologna midfielder Lewis Ferguson as the I Rossoblu conceded a stoppage-time goal to draw 2-2 at Lecce.

Three days on from losing 1-0 to Aston Villa in the Europa League, Bologna returned to league duty and looked set to land all three points going into the dying stages of their match away to Lecce at Stadio Via del Mare.

However, 17-year-old Francesco Camarda, who is on loan from AC Milan, pounced to earn the hosts only their second point of the season and keep Bologna rooted in mid-table.

Ferguson played the full match for Bologna, who return to the Europa League on Thursday at home to Freiburg.

On Saturday, former Celtic forward Nicolas Kuhn came off at half time for Como as they drew 1-1 at home to Cremonese at Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia.