Familiar woes for Christian Pulisic as AC Milan finish off important job

After missing a Serie A loss over the weekend, Pulisic returned to the Milan XI in the Champions League with the club’s hopes very much on the line, joining Yunus Musah in the starting lineup. Milan entered the match having not scored in three Champions League matches, putting their knockout hopes in severe danger heading into the second half of the group stage.

The 2-1 win, though, will keep hopes alive as Milan will have it all to play for in the final two group stage matches.

The match, however, ended on a sour note for Pulisic, who limped off with an apparent hamstring injury in the final moments that could spell bad news for the U.S. men’s national team.

Milan got off to a disastrous start at the San Siro as a longtime rival scored early to give PSG the lead.

Ex-Inter man Milan Skriniar scored in his return to the San Siro, heading home in the ninth minute to give the home supporters a bit of a panic. Fortunately for Milan, though, that panic lasted just three minutes before Rafael Leao levelled the match with a bicycle kick goal from close-range.

Early in the second half, Milan seized the lead through a familiar sight: an Olivier Giroud header. The French star got on the end of a cross from Theo Hernandez in the 50th minute, scoring a massive goal to keep his side’s Champions League hopes alive.

With the win, Milan stay alive in the Champions League as a loss on Tuesday would have likely doomed them in this Group of Death.

The victory puts Milan on five points, leaving them in third place with one more point than last-place Newcastle.

PSG, meanwhile, are second on six points, with Dortmund’s win over Newcastle on Tuesday vaulting them to the top of this chaotic Group F.

The USMNT will have been glad to see Pulisic back on the pitch after the winger missed Milan’s last match due to injury. Without Pulisic in the XI, Milan fell flat on their faces in a 1-0 loss to Udinese, but seemed close to full fitness in Tuesday’s win.

Pulisic wasn’t fantastic like his two attacking partners in Giroud and Leao, but he was solid enough, having a few bright moments in an important win.

However, any high hopes were dashed late on when Pulisic pulled up late in the game’s final moments. The USMNT will now be left sweating while waiting to hear how serious the injury is as vital matches against Trinidad & Tobago loom large.

As for Musah, both the player and Milan will be left frustrated after he was handed a yellow card in the second half. With that card, he’ll miss Milan’s next Champions League match: a crucial game against Borussia Dortmund.

Overall, Musah had a slightly-underwhelming game, one headlined by a huge chance early on that he fired right at Gianluigi Donnarumma.