Trailing 1-0, USMNT star Christian Pulisic came under pressure to equalize for AC Milan in the Italian Super Cup semi-final against Juventus. The forward confidently converted the penalty and kept Milan’s hopes alive in this match.
Juventus took the lead in the 21st minute with a goal from Kenan Yildiz, and Milan were on the back foot for the rest of the first half. Having struggled to find chances, Il Rossonero showed more determination in the second half and eventually won a penalty that changed the course of the game.
The decisive moment came when Theo Hernández made a powerful run into the box, but was stopped by Nicolo Savona. In the ensuing scramble, Pulisic grabbed the loose ball, but was brought down by Manuel Locatelli and was pointed to the spot by the referee.
Pulisic quickly won the ball and took responsibility for the penalty. A powerful strike down the middle, goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio was unable to contain the ferocious attack, leveling Milan’s score and marking the first goal of the Sergio Conceição era.
Milan capitalized on the momentum a few minutes later when Emerson Royal and Alvaro Morata combined well to find Yunus Moussa on the right. A deflection from Juventus centre-back Federico Gatti converted the cross into his own net, giving Milan a decisive 2-1 lead.
The penalty against Juventus was Pulisic’s ninth goal of the season, and his first goal back after missing the match against Roma with an ankle injury. After just one training session under Conceição, Pulisic returned to the starting XI and put in an outstanding performance.
Who will Milan face in the final?
AC Milan will face city rivals Inter Milan in the Italian Super Cup final on Monday 6th January at the Kingdom Arena. This will be the first European trophy showdown of 2025 and a rematch of the 2023 final, where Inter dominated Milan 3-0.
Pulisic played the full 90 minutes against Juventus and showed he is ready for the final. Meanwhile, Milan star Rafael Leao was absent from the bench after being sidelined with a flexor strain against Hellas Verona. Winger Alex Jimenez started in his place against Juventus. It remains to be seen whether Leo will recover in time for the derby showdown.
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