Christian Pulisic is still looking for his first goal in 2026 and while he didn’t really come close in the Derby della Madonnina, there were other encouraging signs.
It has been a tough year for the American so far, between a minor injury that he couldn’t quite shake off and a goal drought that is yet to be broken. For a player with his mentality, constantly looking to improve and contribute to his team, it cannot have been easy.
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Nevertheless, he hasn’t lost the faith of Massimiliano Allegri, who has continued to rely on him and Rafael Leao as the attacking duo recently. There’s a very good reason for this: both players are showing signs of improvement, perhaps above all the No.11.
Encouraging signs of recovery
As highlighted by today’s edition of Corriere dello Sport (via MilanNews), while the goal drought remains a problem from a psychological point of view, Pulisic has at least shown that his physical condition has improved massively.
Against Inter, in the 84 minutes played, he was one of the Milan players who ran the most with over 11 kilometres. He definitely helped the Rossoneri limit Inter’s build-up phase and also led to a few mistakes at the back for the Nerazzurri.
In short, the ground covered proves that the American has left the physical issues behind, meaning he can now focus fully on finding the back of the net. The feeling is that he will only need one goal to unlock the situation, being a confidence issue more so than actual quality.
Hopefully, that goal will come in the game against Lazio tomorrow. The American will start as usual alongside Leao.
