US standout Pulisic scores again in most productive season of his career. Milan beats Verona 3-1
MILAN (AP) — Christian Pulisic is enjoying the most productive season of his career.
The United States standout scored for the fourth straight game for AC Milan to help it to a 3-1 win at relegation-threatened Hellas Verona on Sunday as the Rossoneri consolidated second spot in Serie A.
Pulisic now has 12 goals in 39 appearances across all competitions in his first season with Milan. His previous best tally was 11 in the 2019-20 campaign at Chelsea.
That is also good news for the American team entering the CONCACAF Nations League finals next week at AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys.
Milan moved three points clear of Juventus, which could only draw 0-0 at home to Genoa. The Rossoneri are 14 points behind runaway Serie A leader Inter Milan after it was held to a 1-1 home draw by defending champion Napoli.
AC Milan was turning its attention to matters on the field after a difficult week off it. Its offices were raided by police on Tuesday as part of an investigation by Italian prosecutors into the sale of the seven-time European champion.
Pulisic could have given Milan the lead in the 23rd minute but his effort cannoned off the underside of the crossbar and just the wrong side of the line.
Milan did take the lead in stunning fashion on the stroke of halftime. Théo Hernandez started the move in his own half and played a one-two with Rafael Leão as he sprinted down the left flank to receive the return ball before cutting inside the penalty area. His attempted cross rebounded back to him and instead he fired it in from the tightest of angles.
Milan doubled its tally five minutes after the break when Verona defender Paweł Dawidowicz was caught napping by Noah Okafor, who surged forward and forced a save by Lorenzo Montipò but Pulisic tapped in the rebound.
Tijjani Noslin got Verona back into the match in the 64th minute with a powerful strike but Milan all but sealed the result 11 minutes from time. A corner was cleared by Verona but only as far as Samuel Chukwueze, who volleyed it into the bottom left corner.
JEERS FOR JUVE
Juventus was booed off the field as its miserable run stretched to just one win in eight matches.
Juventus, which hit the woodwork twice, also had Dušan Vlahović sent off in stoppage time. The forward was booked for dissent but furiously continued his protests and was shown a second yellow card.
It was a mediocre first half in Turin and there were loud jeers at halftime, while Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri was visibly angry with his players.
Matters barely improved after the break and Allegri made a triple change on the hour mark.
That almost had an immediate impact as one of those substitutes, Samuel Iling-Junior, had a shot deflected onto the right post in the 67th.
Moise Kean also saw a powerful shot come off the left upright in the final minute, shortly before Vlahović lost his temper.
The boos were even louder after the final whistle.
NOT-SO-PERFECT INTER
Inter had been perfect in 2024 before this week but failed to rebound from a disappointing Champions League exit.
Matteo Darmian gave the home side the lead shortly before halftime but former Inter defender Juan Jesus headed in the equalizer nine minutes from time.
It was a second straight match without a win for Inter after the Nerazzurri — which reached the Champions League final last year — lost on penalties at Atletico Madrid on Wednesday. It had won its previous 13 matches this year.
Napoli was also eliminated from the Champions League midweek as it lost 3-1 at Barcelona.
Napoli is nine points below fourth-place Bologna and sandwiched between Atalanta and Fiorentina, which had their match postponed after Viola general manager Joe Barone was rushed to hospital following a suspected cardiac arrest.
Fifth-place Roma beat relegation-threatened Sassuolo 1-0.
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