Milan was as soon as once more compelled to dig deep, but it surely managed to combat again and safe an important win towards Como in Serie A. After falling behind within the first half, the Rossoneri mounted one other comeback, with Christian Pulisic enjoying a decisive position but once more. The American winger discovered the online to attract the Rossoneri degree earlier than Tijjani Reijnders sealed the victory with a late winner.
Past the instant significance of the end result, Pulisic’s aim carried a fair larger significance. With that strike, he reached a profession milestone and matched an achievement as soon as set by none aside from Zlatan Ibrahimovic. May this develop into one of the best particular person season ever for an American in Europe’s high 5 leagues?
Milan’s behavior of beginning sluggish and ending robust was as soon as once more evident towards Como. The guests took the lead within the thirty third minute, when Luca Da Cunha fired a exact shot into the underside left nook. Regardless of having a number of possibilities earlier within the recreation, Sergio Conceicao and his gamers discovered themselves behind at halftime, prompting loud jeers from the San Siro crowd.
“I can’t provide you with a motive, we need to begin the sport stronger, and I don’t know why this season we’re all the time in bother within the first half,” Pulisic admitted to DAZN. “The necessary factor is to do higher within the second.”
Pulisic to Conceicao and Milan’s rescue once more
Then, simply minutes earlier than the hour-mark, Milan discovered the breakthrough. Tijjani Reijnders, who had been instrumental within the midfield, performed a superbly weighted ball excessive for Pulisic. From a decent angle, the American winger displayed outstanding composure, placing the ball previous the goalkeeper and into the far backside nook.
That aim was Pulisic’s fifteenth of the season in all competitions, equaling his earlier career-best tally, which he set in his first season at Milan. Nevertheless, he reached this mark in simply 38 video games, in comparison with the 50 matches he wanted final season.
What makes this feat much more particular is that the 26-year-old has now grow to be the primary Pink and Blacks participant to attain 15+ objectives in all competitions in every of his first two seasons since Zlatan Ibrahimovic in 2010-11 and 2011-12, as per OptaJack.
Historic season for the American and it’ll get even higher
Together with his newest aim, Pulisic now has 9 Serie A objectives this season, taking his total tally for Milan to 30 objectives and 17 assists since becoming a member of the membership. His affect on the group is plain, and his skill to ship in essential moments has solely solidified his significance to the group’s assault.
The USMNT star has additionally been a key determine within the Italian big’s current flip of type. Simply final week, he scored a dramatic brace towards Lecce, serving to Milan overturn a 2-0 deficit to win 3-2. Now, with back-to-back comeback performances, he continues to show his skill to ship when it issues most.
Milan’s dominance continued after Pulisic’s equalizer, and the winner lastly arrived within the seventy fifth minute. This time, it was Reijnders himself who discovered the online, calmly ending previous the goalkeeper after a superb backheel help from Tammy Abraham.
With that, Milan secured their second consecutive Serie A victory, transferring as much as seventh place within the desk, 5 factors behind fourth-placed Juventus. The win additionally retains Sergio Conceicao’s facet within the hunt for a Champions League spot–a minimum of mathematically–although the battle for European qualification stays tight.
