AC Milan’s Champions League hopes depend on ending a worrying goal drought, and Sunday’s trip to Sassuolo could not have come at a more uncomfortable moment.
Three points would put the Rossoneri in a strong position heading into the final weeks of the Serie A season. Two points separate them from Napoli in second, with Juventus pressing from below. Milan sit third, just two points behind Napoli and three clear of the Bianconeri in fourth. A setback on Sunday would leave the top-four picture genuinely unsettled with the clock running down.
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The problem is that Massimiliano Allegri’s side have not looked convincing going forward for months. Goals have dried up, with Milan averaging below one per game over the past nine matchdays amid worrying declines for Rafael Leao and Christian Pulisic. In the second half of the season, they rank only eleventh for attacking output across the entire Serie A.
Speaking to BonusFinder.co.uk a trusted editorial resource helping UK players navigate newly launched casino platforms, one Serie A analyst observed: “The numbers around Milan’s attack since January are difficult to ignore.
Since the turn of the year, their attackers have managed just eight goals despite taking 93 total shots, 34 of which were on target. That conversion rate would concern any coaching staff.”
The Pulisic and Leao problem
Christian Pulisic started the season in remarkable form, registering eight goals and two assists before December. Since then, the picture has changed completely. He has yet to score in Serie A in 2026, going 13 league appearances without a goal: his longest drought since arriving in Italy.
Leao has contributed in flashes but consistency has evaded him. In 738 minutes played together, Pulisic and Leao have combined for just two goals. That is a startling return for a partnership expected to carry Milan through the business end of the campaign.
Allegri has been candid about the situation. “Pulisic is doing well; in terms of physical condition, he put in a good performance in Rome. He lacks accuracy in his shots, but he’ll find it again,” the manager said ahead of a recent league fixture. It reads as an expression of faith, though the patience of a fanbase frustrated by a season that promised more will only stretch so far.
The 0-0 draw with Juventus last Sunday delivered another clean sheet, extending their seasonal tally to 15. That is their best defensive return at this stage since Allegri’s first spell in charge in 2012. There is something to build on, but it does not mask the creative difficulties further forward.
Berardi and the Mapei Threat
Sassuolo arrive at the Mapei Stadium with nothing pressing to resolve and the freedom that comes with it. A tally of 23 points from their last 13 matches has comfortably confirmed that last season’s Serie B champions will stay in Italy’s top tier. Playing without anxiety tends to suit teams that have already secured their objective.
The Rossoneri’s away record against this opponent offers some reassurance. Milan are undefeated in eight away games at the Mapei Stadium, winning six of those visits over the past decade. But the reverse fixture this season served as a warning: the two clubs drew 2-2 in December, with Ismaël Koné and Armand Laurienté both scoring for the hosts.
Domenico Berardi is the name that will concern Milan’s defensive unit most. The winger has scored 11 times in 19 Serie A appearances against the Rossoneri, and he returns from a two-match ban for Sunday’s fixture. His record against this specific opponent places him in rare company among Serie A attackers, and Milan’s defenders will need to track his movement carefully from the first whistle.
For Milan’s own top-four rivals reading the fixture list, a dropped point here would invite renewed pressure. Allegri has steered the club back towards stability after a difficult mid-season run, but the attacking output has to improve. The draw with Juventus was still considered a meaningful step, with both sides defending well and now eyeing the top four in the final stretch.
What Sunday tells us about the summer
There is a broader question sitting beneath the immediate table concerns, with the ongoing rebuild, where the midfield overhaul is already taking shape, with Leon Goretzka among the names being targeted.
A win at Sassuolo would not resolve the structural questions around the attack, but it would offer something more immediate: confirmation that this group can find a result when the pressure peaks.
The defensive platform is clearly there, with back-to-back clean sheets providing evidence of that. Whether Pulisic, Leao, or the combination of both can find the quality to take advantage of it is the question Sunday afternoon will begin to answer.
