It was only weeks ago that it felt like Christian Pulisic’s future with AC Milan was in doubt. Sergio Conceicao had taken the managerial reins from Paulo Fonseca, and Pulisic’s goal-scoring form had dried up, resulting in being dropped from the starting lineup in Serie A matches. There were even reports of Pulisic demanding a summer transfer.
That feels like the distant past now after the U.S. men’s national team star gave arguably the most important performance of his Rossinieri career on Saturday, with a brace that helped lift Milan back from the dead in a 3-2 win over Lecce to halt a three-match slide and possibly save Conceicao’s job.
After an own-goal gave Milan a second-half lifeline, Pulisic leveled from the penalty spot in the 73rd minute. He earned the opportunity himself by running onto a pass on the right side of the penalty area ahead of a lunging Lecce defender. Then he hammered an emphatic PK down the middle past Wladimiro Falcone, who guessed to the right.
Eight minutes later, Pulisic snuck to the back post to meet Rafael Leao’s cross with a first-time finish to put the visitors in front.
The performance marked only Pulisic’s second brace in a Milan jersey, and easily his most important multi-goal performance since he arrived in Italy (The other came in a 5-1 league win). And coming after an exit in the UEFA Champions League, it halted his side’s worst patch of the season, potentially allowing for a late recovery to earn a European place.
The result kept Conceicao’s group six points back of Lazio and Bologna for a top-six finish, and eight back of a fourth-place Juventus side that got hammered at Atalanta on Sunday. Pulisic and Milan are also still alive in the Coppa Italia semifinals, where they’ll play arch-rival Inter in a two-leg semifinal on April 2 and 23.
Pulisic is scheduled to return to USMNT action on March 20 against Panama in a Concacaf Nations League semifinal.
