AC Milan, with a standout performance by Christian Pulisic, advanced to the second round of the Coppa Italia after defeating Bari with a score of 2-0.
Pulisic leads AC Milan to victory
The American winger, Christian Pulisic, was key in AC Milan’s victory. He scored the second goal for the Rossoneri in a controlled match against their Serie B rival, right after the break. Previously, he had hit the crossbar in the first half.
The 26-year-old player received a pass from Santiago Gimenez and, with great control, calmly finished in front of the goal defended by Michele Cerofolini.
Milan took the lead in the score at 14 minutes thanks to a header from Rafael Leão, after a precise cross from Fikayo Tomori.The negative note of the match was Rafael Leão’s calf injury, which forced his substitution a few minutes later. The coach, Massimiliano Allegri, hopes the injury is not serious.
Pulisic was substituted in the 66th minute for his American teammate Yunus Musah, simultaneously with midfielders Samuele Ricci and Ruben Loftus-Cheek. This marked Luka Modric’s competitive debut with Milan, following his arrival from Real Madrid.
Modric, winner of the Ballon d’Or, joined the Italian club in July, after 13 seasons with Real Madrid.
Allegri, re-hired as Milan’s coach, began to serve a two-match ban for an incident in the 2024 Coppa Italia final.
Milan, who is usually a top seed in the early rounds of the Coppa Italia, was relegated to the initial rounds after finishing eighth in Serie A last season and losing the Coppa Italia final against Bologna.
Allegri is now preparing for his first Serie A match as Milan’s coach, where they will host Cremonese at the San Siro on August 23rd.
