Up until Monday morning, there were serious doubts about whether Christian Pulisic would even suit up for AC Milan’s Serie A matchup against Torino. Remarkably, the American forward not only shook off an illness to don his jersey, but he also came off the bench in the second half to score two goals within 10 minutes, leading Milan to a 3-2 comeback victory.
Pulisic was subbed in during the 66th minute, quickly netting the equalizer in the 67th and then clinching the win with his second goal just 10 minutes later. This victory extended Milan’s unbeaten streak in Serie A to 13 matches and allowed them to leapfrog Napoli at the top of the table on goal difference. The Pennsylvania native now boasts seven goals in nine league appearances and nine in 12 matches across all competitions.
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He had missed the previous weekend’s home win against Lazio due to a minor leg injury, only returning for a brief stint in Thursday’s Coppa Italia rematch against the same team.
A fever and flu-like symptoms had cast uncertainty over his availability for Monday’s game, but after receiving medical clearance earlier that day, he made an immediate impact.
As reported by Stats Perform, Pulisic is now the third U.S. national team player this century to score multiple goals as a substitute in one of Europe’s top five leagues (England, Germany, Spain, Italy, and France), joining Charlie Davies (Sochaux/France) in 2009 and Folarin Balogun (Monaco/France) last year.
His first goal came from a left-side cross by Alexis Saelemaekers, where he settled the ball and expertly placed a left-footed shot into the far corner from eight yards out.
Ten minutes later, Pulisic made a sharp run into the penalty area, evading defenders as he received a cross from Samuele Ricci. He then struck with another left-footed shot, this time from 10 yards, finding the right corner of the net.
In Serie A, he currently leads AC Milan in goals, two ahead of teammate Rafael Leão, and is tied with three others for the most assists with two.
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In his third season in Italy after leaving Chelsea, Pulisic has tallied 30 goals in 79 league appearances and 41 in 112 matches overall.
This strong performance at Milan this season is promising for the U.S. national team, which will gather again at the end of March for friendlies against Belgium and Portugal—these matches being the final opportunity to evaluate players before the World Cup squad is finalized in May.
Due to injuries, Pulisic played just 48 minutes across two friendlies during the October international window and missed the previous month’s window to focus on his fitness.