U.S. men’s national team standout Christian Pulisic started the new season in style, scoring an impressive goal as AC Milan beat Bari in Coppa Italia first round action on Sunday. In the 48th minute, Pulisic received the ball yards from Bari’s penalty area and made a deep run while swerving into a more central position as he made his way into the box. He noticed Santiago Gimenez to his left and played a pass to his teammate as he got a little closer to goal, Gimenez trading the favor almost immediately as Pulisic got into a better position.
Pulisic has a body on him, but he receives the ball with his foot and his back tilted towards the goal, spins while never losing possession and strikes the ball with his right foot, seamlessly sending it into the back of the net.
Watch the strike below.
It marks an impressive start to Pulisic’s third season in Milan and his first under new manager Massimiliano Allegri, who is the fourth person to take charge of the team since Pulisic joined ahead of the 2023-24 season. Pulisic was a regular fixture during Milan’s preseason and slotted into the lineup as a forward in a 3-5-2 on a handful of occasions, including in Sunday’s Coppa Italia win over Bari, a showcase of his versatility as an attacker. Pulisic’s importance to Milan comes as little surprise considering how quickly he took to life in Serie A, enjoying two career-best years since making the move from Chelsea. The USMNT player has 33 goals in 101 appearances for the club now, his output especially important last season as a lone bright spot during a disappointing season that saw them finish in eighth place last season.
The attacker started on Sunday after dealing with an ankle issue that kept him out of their final preseason friendly last week, a 4-1 loss at Chelsea. He is well-rested, though, after using the summer to recuperate from a busy 2024-25 campaign with Milan, opting out of the Concacaf Gold Cup with next summer’s World Cup on home soil in mind. It was a decision that did not go over well with some in the USMNT’s orbit, mainly players who competed in previous generations of the national team, but he defended his choice in a recent episode of the “PULISIC” documentary.
“I had to make the best decision for myself and look out for myself,” he said in the docuseries, which is currently streaming on Paramount+.
Milan will play Lecce in the second round of the Coppa Italia, which will take place from September 23-25. Milan were the runners-up in last season’s competition, losing to Bologna in the final. They kick off their Serie A campaign on Saturday against newly promoted Cremonese, which you can watch on Paramount+.
