In a first half that Milan fans would rather forget, their trip to Torino took a disastrous turn as Christian Pulisic missed the first penalty of his professional career—ending a perfect streak that stretched across both club and international matches. The Rossoneri’s woes were compounded by a comical own goal from Malick Thiaw, leaving Sergio Conceicao’s men trailing and desperate for a comeback.
With their Champions League elimination still fresh in their minds, Milan need a win to stay competitive in the race for a top-four finish in Serie A. Yet, their hopes began to unravel in the first half with an own goal that seemed ripped from a blooper reel.
Attempting to clear the ball outside his penalty box, goalkeeper Mike Maignan struck the ball directly into teammate Malick Thiaw, sending it ricocheting into the Rossoneri’s net. It was a cruel twist of fate for Thiaw, who had also scored an own goal in the teams’ previous 2-2 draw last August.
Milan’s opportunity to equalize came when Torino’s Tori Pedersen committed a blatant handball while trying to block a header from Rafael Leao—earning the visitors a penalty. Up stepped Pulisic, a player renowned for his composure from the spot. Prior to this match, the American winger had converted all 12 penalties he had taken in his professional career, nine of which in club action, including three for Milan (two in Serie A and one in the Italian Super Cup), and the remaining three or the US Men’s National Team.
However, Torino goalkeeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic, known for his penalty-saving prowess, guessed correctly and parried Pulisic’s strike—marking his fourth save of the season from the spot, out of total five.
What went wrong in first half?
While the miss was a shock, credit must go to Milinkovic-Savic for his reflexes and anticipation. The Serbian keeper’s record speaks for itself, and even the most reliable penalty-takers can falter against a specialist of his caliber.
Pulisic, however, will undoubtedly feel the weight of the miss, especially given its significance in a match where Sergio Conceicao‘s players desperately need points. The American has been one of Milan’s standout performers this season, but this setback will test his resilience as the game progresses.
With Bologna’s loss and Lazio’s draw earlier in the day, Milan has the perfect opportunity to gain ground in the Serie A standings. Yet, the combination of a bizarre own goal and Pulisic’s missed penalty now risks leaving the Rossoneri scrambling to keep pace in the race for Champions League qualification.
Developing story…
