Milan’s struggles proceed to mount, with current outcomes pointing to a regarding pattern for the Rossoneri. Regardless of having many proficient star gamers, the workforce’s fortunes appear to be closely tied to Christian Pulisic’s contributions. In a season marred by setbacks, together with a stunning Champions League exit and a current 2-1 loss to Torino, the membership finds itself more and more reliant on the winger to show issues round—particularly in the home competitions.
Whereas Milan’s struggles are collective, one participant has stood out as each their beacon of hope and, alarmingly, an instance of their rising points—Christian Pulisic. All through the season, the USMNT ace has been one of many few vivid spots in an in any other case inconsistent squad. Nonetheless, current performances counsel that even he’s starting to fade underneath the burden of expectations.
This Saturday, the Crimson and Blacks missed a golden alternative to shut the hole on the highest 4, with Pulisic’s penalty saved in a irritating first half. The penalty miss was significantly notable because it marked the primary time in the American’s skilled profession that he had didn’t convert from the spot.
He had been error-free from the penalty spot all through his skilled profession—till now. Having been flawless in his earlier 12 penalty makes an attempt throughout each membership and worldwide matches, the failure to transform it served as a stark reminder of the difficulties the workforce faces at this stage of the season.
Milan’s key participant, but not too long ago struggling in Serie A
Past the penalty miss, a deeper difficulty looms—his worrying open-play goalscoring statistics have sparked concern among the many Milan devoted, because the workforce’s present kind appears to replicate how a lot they want him to be at his finest. The winger’s contributions, significantly in Serie A, have been minimal recently, which may very well be a significant factor in Sergio Conceicao’s gamers’ stagnation within the league and their fading hopes of securing a Champions League spot for subsequent season.
Transfermarkt exhibits that Christian Pulisic’s final non-penalty objective within the league occurred 4 months in the past, on October 6, 2024, towards Fiorentina. Since then, regardless of scoring from open play in different competitions just like the UEFA Champions League and the Italian Tremendous Cup, the 26-year-old has but to seek out the online in Serie A in 2025. This prolonged dry spell is a stark distinction to his early performances for the Rossoneri, the place his attacking aptitude had helped elevate the workforce.
What’s impacting Pulisic’s home kind?
There are seemingly two predominant causes for Pulisic’s dip in kind, significantly in terms of scoring from open play. The primary is his battle with calf and muscle accidents in late 2024 and early 2025. These accidents have saved him sidelined for a number of video games, limiting his impression on the pitch. The American star missed seven matches throughout this era, which disrupted his momentum and left him unable to take care of the excessive ranges of consistency required within the Italian Serie A.
Then, there’s the impression of those accidents which has lingered, particularly contemplating the tightly packed fixture schedule. After lacking the match towards Juventus on January 18, Conceicao has fastidiously managed the participant’s involvement. He has been enjoying restricted minutes, with the Portuguese boss stating that he’s not but match sufficient to play the complete 90 minutes.
Is Milan closely depending on Pulisic?
Regardless of these struggles, Pulisic stays a key determine for Milan. His absence from the objective sheet within the Italian prime flight is a testomony to how a lot the workforce depends on him for creativity and goalscoring. The Rossoneri’s current outcomes, significantly within the home competitors, appear to hinge on Pulsic’s involvement, and his drop in productiveness has solely highlighted the significance of his contributions.
The 26-year-old winger’s means to attain and create probabilities from open play stays essential for the San Siro outfit’s push for a top-four end within the league. If Pulisic can regain his kind and return to his early-season ranges, Milan could have a significantly better probability of attaining their targets for the rest of the season.