da mrbet： Christian Pulisic provided what looked like a crucial second half assist, but AC Milan threw it all away by conceding a late winner at Atalanta.
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Pulisic assists equalizer Milan fall on late goalSerie A title hopes in danger alreadyWHAT HAPPENED?
Atalanta seized an initial lead in the 38th minute, with Ademola Lookman giving the hosts an advantage on their way to halftime. They wouldn't make it to the break ahead, though, as Olivier Giroud's goal in first-half stoppage time ensured the two teams would be level at the break.
Lookman, though, scored once again to put Atalanta ahead, with AC Milan loanee Charles de Ketalaere twisting the knife on his parent club with the assist on the go-ahead goal. Pulisic, though, ensured that Milan would leave with at least a share of the points, as the American's ball across the box was tapped in by Luka Jovic, whose goal made the score 2-2.
Just moments before the final whistle, Davide Calabria was handed what seemed to be a meaningless second yellow card, as Milan would need to surivve stoppage time down a man. They weren't able to, as Luis Muriel scored int he 95th minute to deal Milan a major blow while sealing a 3-2 win for the hosts.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE
With the loss, AC Milan fail to gain crucial ground in the Serie A title race as they sit firmly in third. As things stand, they're seven points behind league-leaders Juventus, who defeated Napoli on Friday, and six points behind rivals Inter, who face Udinese on Saturday.
Fourth-place Roma could gain some ground, as they sit five points behind Milan ahead of their match this weekend, while Napoli will remain five points back heading into the next matchday.
GettyUSMNT IMPACT
Without Rafael Leao, AC Milan's attack has looked relatively toothless and, in this match, Pulisic struggled for large stretches as the Portuguese star's primary replacement. However, with Milan desperate for someone to make something happen, Pulisic did just that with his ball across the box that led to the equalizing goal.
Pulisic started on the left-hand side of Milan's attack rather than the right as he was placed in Leao's usual position. On the right, Samuel Chukwueze earned the start, but struggled as well before being removed early in the second half. In his place, Musah moved from midfield to right wing, with Ismael Bennacer entering to lift the central unit.
The goal, though, came from Pulisic over on the left, as the USMNT star's perfectly-placed pass left Jovic with little more than a tap-in.
GOAL'S RATINGS
Christian Pulisic (8/10):
Was all effort and no end product for much of the match but, when his side needed someone to make something happen, Pulisic took charge. It was the type of sequence clubs need from their superstar, as Pulisic put the ball on a platter for Jovic to score a vital goal.
Yunus Musah (7/10):
A solid day for Musah, who plugged a lot of holes for Milan on the day. Started as a deep-lying midfielder and ended up on the right wing, showing his versatility and ability on the ball.