Milan’s season may have veered off course in the Serie A title race, but in the Coppa Italia, the Rossoneri have rediscovered a spark—one that’s flared most brightly against their fiercest rivals, Inter. A 3-0 second-leg win at San Siro on Wednesday saw Milan book their place in the final, setting up a shot at silverware and European salvation after a turbulent league campaign.
The stars of the evening were Luka Jovic, whose brace paved the path to a commanding 4-1 aggregate win, and Tijjani Reijnders, who applied the finishing touch late in the match. But beneath the surface of the scoreline, a less obvious contributor emerged as crucial to the win—Christian Pulisic.
In the aftermath of the victory, Milan coach Sergio Conceicao was quick to underline what makes the American international stand out from the rest of his squad. Speaking with Mediaset, the Portuguese manager highlighted a single trait that sets Pulisic apart—not his flair, not his goals, but something deeper.
“He sacrificed himself for the team, he had a good game,” Conceicao said. “We had to balance the central areas, he and Jovic were important on Asllani. He ran a lot, he gave a lot to the team.”
More than just numbers
Christian Pulisic arrived in Milan in the summer of 2023, looking to reignite a career that had stalled in its final months at Chelsea. The American had never been a flop in London—26 goals and 21 assists in 145 games is no small return—but he had become expendable, and the Italian giant moved swiftly to snap him up for $25 million.
The move has since proven to be a masterstroke. In just 93 appearances, the American has scored 30 goals and assisted 22 times, becoming one of Milan’s most productive attacking outlets. This season alone, he has netted 15 goals and provided 11 assists across all competitions, and he’s currently tied for the most assists in Serie A for Milan alongside Rafael Leao.
But it was his performance without the ball on Wednesday that earned him the deepest praise. In a match where Inter dominated possession, Milan had to rely on discipline, shape, and tireless effort to shut down space and win back the ball. Pulisic, deployed not as a glamorous winger but as a hard-working cog in the system, ran himself into the ground.
“Then it’s clear, he lacks a bit of freshness with the ball,” Conceicao added. “When we spend more time without the ball, for players like Puli, it becomes more difficult. But I have great confidence in him.”
Quiet hero in a season of turmoil
The Rossoneri’s league form has been anything but consistent, and as they sit ninth in the table—eight points adrift of a European qualification spot through Serie A—the Coppa Italia may now be their only ticket to continental competition next season. Not since the 2016-17 season have they failed to feature in Europe, and failure to lift the Coppa would mark a dramatic downturn for a club used to the continental stage.
In a season that has tested the resolve of players, coaches, and fans alike, Pulisic has become a symbol of what remains strong at San Siro—commitment, effort, and belief. The Rossoneri may no longer be in the Scudetto race, but they’ve beaten Inter three times this season and drawn twice, a psychological dominance over their rivals that could set the tone for next year.
