With just weeks remaining in the season, desperation is setting in across Europe as teams scramble for three crucial points. Even the smallest mistake could have major consequences – whether it’s qualifying for European competition in 2025-26 or simply staying in the top flight. For several key American players, the pressure is especially intense.
In Italy, Christian Pulisic is going to need to step up big as the Rossoneri desperately need three points. The U.S. international leads the club in a combined goals and assists across 2024-25 with nine goals and eight assists, and come Sunday, will need to wear his best boots as Milan take on Atalanta in the Derby di Lombardia. Coming into the match, he’s notched two assists in his last two appearances, but has not found the back of the net since March 15 – a 2-1 win over Como.
In England, meanwhile, several storylines are unfolding
Chris Richards and Crystal Palace host Tyler Adams and Bournemouth in Premier League action on Sunday as the Eagles look to snap a two-game losing streak – a stretch where they have conceded 10 goals. Richards, who scored against Manchester City last weekend, will look to bounce back defensively as he clashes with the Cherries who, last weekend, won their first match across all competitions since Feb. 15.
Also on Sunday, Antonee Robinson and Fulham will have one of their most difficult tests yet on the calendar as they host Cole Palmer and Chelsea. The Blues will be in desperate need for a victory as they continue their climb up the table in search of Champions League soccer in 2025-26. The Cottagers, meanwhile, are looking to bounce back from a defeat to Adams and Bournemouth last weekend, while Robinson himself will have his hands full with the tricky Palmer operating on his flank of the pitch.
GOAL looks ahead at some of the biggest storylines to follow among Americans Abroad this weekend.
Neither Bournemouth or Palace have played particularly well of late, and both are desperate for a victory this weekend. The Cherries have fallen out of the top six in the league, down to eighth in the standings, while Palace are on the outside looking in, sitting in 12th – just five points behind Bournemouth.
For Richards and the Eagles, following two rather horrid defensive showings, conceding 10 in that stretch. They’ll look to bounce back with a proper performance and get back to defending like they did during their seven-game unbeaten streak from February to March, where they conceded just four goals. For Adams and the Cherries, however, a win this weekend could up their chances of securing European football in the 2025-26 campaign. They trail sixth-place Chelsea by six points, and a win on Saturday would cut that deficit in half.
It’s a clash between two of the USMNT’s finest, but at the club level, there are bigger implications
Milan’s 2024-25 season hero, Pulisic needs to have a near season-best performance to lift the Rossoneri this weekend. They sit ninth in Serie A, and a loss could have massive implications in the race for UCL soccer next season.
Atalanta, who sit third in the standings, have a 10-point lead over Milan – but three points could see Pulisic and Co. move up to sixth in the standings, closing the gap on a top-four finish that would secure them a berth in the UCL come next campaign.
Their best performance in months came last weekend in a 4-0 win over Udinese, and they’ve found results in five of their last six matches in Serie A – meaning they’re in relatively decent form. However, they need more from their American star as the campaign winds down. Since the start of February, he’s scored just three goals – two of which came against relegation-threatened Lecce.
This is a contest where Pulisic’s goal scoring could make a significant difference, especially against one of Serie A’s better defensive sides.
