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If there was ever any concern that Christian Pulisic would not live up to his enormous potential, it has emphatically been left in the past. On Tuesday afternoon, he notched his eighth goal of the season and third in AC Milan’s Champions League campaign. Facing Slovan Bratislava, Pulisic burst through the heart of the defense to latch onto a pass from Tammy Abraham. From that point, through on goal with only the keeper to beat, there was only ever going to be one outcome with the form the American is in. Seemingly off balance, Pulisic directed a low effort into the bottom corner to send Milan on their way to an eventual 3-2 victory away from home. Left on the bench for Milan’s 0-0 draw with Juventus at the weekend, the forward once again displayed the unique spark he provides when restored to the starting XI for the midweek European clash. The Hershey native was forced off in the second half but later confirmed it was just a precautionary measure - much to the relief of USMNT and Milan fans. He’s now totaled 13 combined goals and assists in just 15 starts, but there’s an even more incredible statistic that displays his increased dominance. Pulisic’s goal on Tuesday made it 11 Champions League strikes at the age of 26, taking him ahead of the man he indirectly replaced at Chelsea, Premier League legend Eden Hazard. While Hazard’s Champions League tally was not the most impressive element of his career, it’s still a remarkable sign of the form the former Blues winger is in. Pulisic is already the American with the most goals in Europe’s elite competition and there’s every reason to believe he’s not only the Stars and Stripes' most important attacking player, but Milan’s as well. It is a hugely impressive renaissance for a player who had seen his career start to stutter during his final months with Chelsea. He made the bold decision to move to Italy - the third major European league of his career - and thus far he is thriving. Speaking after the game, Pulisic showed the kind of leadership that American fans are becoming accustomed to, demanding more from both himself and his club team. “It was a tough match for us, " he commented. "We’re happy about the three points, which are the most important thing, but we wanted to play better. It’s not easy to play here; they’re a good team. We scored the first goal, but we could have defended better, even in preventive situations. "They created many opportunities in the first half, and we could have done better. We want to play better. The most important thing is to win, but when you play like this, it feels almost like a loss. ” During his time in England there was the occasional accusation that Pulisic didn’t have the drive or desperation to make it at the top level. That can certainly be laughed off at this point. As he aims to carry the U. S. to unprecedented heights at the 2026 World Cup on home soil, fans now have the unique opportunity to follow his road with a new documentary series set to be released on December 9. The trailer has now come out and it’s the perfect timing as Pulisic really hits his stride for club and country. © 2024 talk SPORT Limited
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