MILAN — AC Milan have had a difficult start to the 2024/25 season, but the form of American Christian Pulisic is keeping the Rossoneri relevant. The man of the United States men’s national team has convinced us that the best is yet to come and he is probably the biggest reason why Milan fans can look to the future with some optimism. The USMNT winger scored again against Liverpool in the opening match of the UEFA Champions League stage on Tuesday, before the Italian giants conceded three times to lose 3-1 at San Siro. Pulisic scored three minutes into the match to score his third goal of the season so far, but it wasn’t enough.
Pulisic, despite the problems of AC Milan and their new manager Paulo Fonseca in finding the balance of his side, has made a very strong start and has already scored three goals in all competitions and also provided two assists for his teammates.
Following the goal against Parma in the second match of the competition, Pulisic provided one assist against Lazio and also another assist in last weekend’s win against Venezia, when he also scored his second Serie A goal. And then, three minutes into the UCL match against Liverpool, he scored his first European goal of the season. AC Milan suffered more from the defensive players, who struggled with set pieces especially in the first half as Ibrahima Konate and Virgil Van Dijk scored twice in a few minutes, but once again key players such as Rafael Leao were unable to perform .
That role of leader is now much closer to Pulisic, because he is the player who performs the most. Even more than the goals and assists of Pulisic, who is by far the most efficient player on the roster, Fonseca knows that the American international is the only player who can bring the quality that players like Leao and Samu Chukwueze are currently not showing. .
The Portuguese manager can deploy him in three different roles of the attacking line: as number ten in 4-2-3-1, as a left and right winger, but most importantly that Pulisic is on the pitch because AC Milan cannot do without him today to live. AC Milan face Inter on Sunday and after losing their last six derbies in a row, another defeat cannot mark the beginning of the end of the Fonseca era, but it can mark the final straw.
