GdS: ‘Pulisic phenomenon’ – Milan’s talisman inspires huge win over Napoli

Christian Pulisic was the star of the show again for AC Milan, getting two goal contributions in a 2-1 win over Napoli.

As La Gazzetta dello Sport (seen below) recall, the Sunday morning test was passed, with Massimiliano Allegri revealing before the game: “Pulisic wasn’t feeling great. The last test went well, so he took the field.”

On the eve of the big match, Allegri had limited himself to discussing doubts about the line-up, without going into too much detail. San Siro had already figured it all out and was chanting Pulisic’s name even before the match began.

The Curva Sud’s homage was reserved for a select few: to Luka Modric – because the champion always deserves a boost – to Gimenez, because Santiago Gimenez is the centre-forward who needs a bit of confidence.

Considering that Pulisic is no longer a winger, no longer an attacking midfielder, but a full-time striker, it’s only right to point to the numbers: five games, four goals, and two assists in the league. Two appearances and two goals in the Coppa Italia. These are numbers worthy of a true goalscorer.

Furthermore, since his Serie A debut in the 2023-24 season, Pulisic is the player who has been involved in the most goals in the last three Serie A seasons: 46 (27 goals, 19 assists), ahead of Lautaro Martinez (45).

Captain America

San Siro was singing for him even before the start, not that Pulisic needed much more to confirm his leadership: less than three minutes passed before he set up Alexis Saelemaekers. It was the assist that broke the deadlock.

He doubled the lead shortly after the half-hour mark: Strahinja Pavlovic’s run, Youssouf Fofana’s lay-off, and Pulisic’s shot went in, thanks to the deflection off Juan Jesus. It was a move to demonstrate that Milan have the perfect combination of muscle and class.

The red card in the second half reopened the game, and when the team needed a breather, Pulisic was called to the bench for Bartesaghi. When he came off, it was he, a reserved and very shy player, who encouraged the crowd to cheer the team on in a moment of difficulty.

When Christian returns to the pitch, it’s to receive yet another award for best player of the match: “We defended top-notch, there was incredible sacrifice from everyone. With Modric and Rabiot, we show so much quality on the pitch, and then Allegri brings out the best in each of us.”