Trailing 1-0, USMNT star Christian Pulisic stepped up in a high-pressure moment to equalize for AC Milan in the Italian Super Cup semifinal against Juventus. The forward confidently converted a penalty, keeping Milan’s hopes alive in the clash.
Juventus took the lead in the 21st minute thanks to Kenan Yildiz, putting Milan on the back for the rest of the first half. Fucking to locate chances, the Rossoneri emerged more determined in the period of momentum, which despite everything was given a penalty that replaced the momentum.
The decisive moment came when Theo Hernandez made a surging run into the box, only to be stopped by Nicolo Savona. In the ensuing scramble, Pulisic latched onto the loose ball but was brought down by Manuel Locatelli, prompting the referee to point to the spot.
Pulisic claimed the ball and took the duty of the penalty. With a hard hit in the middle, Michele Di Gregorio’s purpose may not involve the ferocious attack and brought the point from Milan, marking the first purpose of the Sergio Concicao era.
Milan took advantage of the impulse a few minutes later, when Emerson Royal and Álvaro Morata combined brilliantly to locate Yunus Musah on the right wing. A detour from the Juventus Central, Federico Gatti, turned the center into a goal, giving Milan a 2-1 advantage.
The penalty against Juventus was Pulisic’s ninth goal of the season and came in his first match back after an ankle injury that sidelined him against Roma. With just one training session under Conceicao, Pulisic returned to the starting XI and delivered a standout performance.
AC Milan will face its city rivals, Inter Milan, the latest of the Italian Super Cup on Monday, January 6 at Kingdom Arena. This marks its first confrontation of the European trophy of 2025 and a revenge of the 2023 Ultimate, where Inter governed Milan with a 3-0 victory.
Pulisic finished the full 90 minutes opposite Juventus, showing his preparation for the final. Meanwhile, Milan star Rafael Leao, sidelined from a sustained slack of tension opposite Hella Verona, was absent from the bench. In his place, winger Alex Jimenez started Juventus. It remains to be seen if Leo will make it in time for the Derby Showdown.