Captain America nearly becomes Milan’s superhero! Christian Pulisic goal helps Italian giants beat Newcastle, but Champions League dream falls just short

WHAT HAPPENED?

Heading into Wednesday’s matches, the group was poised for drama, and it was Newcastle who kickstarted the party with the opening goal.

That goal came in the 33rd minute, with Joelinton unleashing a shot that gave Mike Maignan no chance in goal, giving the hosts a 1-0 lead.

Milan, though, struck back in the second half through Pulisic. After a cross in from Rafael Leao, the ball ping-ponged around the box before falling to Olivier Giroud, who flicked a pass over to Pulisic. Wide open on the back post, Pulisic only needed to tap it in to make the score 1-1.

The visitors then got a late winner from a supersub, Samuel Chukwueze, who scored a massive goal to make it 2-1 and give his side hope.

Unfortunately, that hope was extinguished due to the events in Germany. Paris Saint-Germain’s draw with Borussia Dortmund saw the French side go through in second place, dooming Milan to a third-place finish.

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Milan’s Champions League hopes were ended on Wednesday. Their European run, though, isn’t over yet.

By finishing in third place, Milan will now drop into the Europa League, having narrowly missed out on that highly-coveted second-place spot. Both Milan and PSG finished on eight points, but the French side had the edge to move on in the Champions League.

Not all is lost, though, as Milan will now look to make a run in the Europa League when the competition resumes in the spring.

USMNT IMPACT

Pulisic continues to step up in big moments, with Wednesday’s goal being his biggest since arriving in Milan.

His best moment at Chelsea was his Champions League semifinal goal against Real Madrid that, ultimately, helped the Blues lift the title. With the U.S. men’s national team, Pulisic famously scored against Iran at the 2022 World Cup, helping the U.S. escape from their group in Qatar.

Generally, Pulisic has had a habit of stepping up in big games. Unfortunately, there won’t be any more in the Champions League this season, but the European dream isn’t over just yet.

Yunus Musah, meanwhile, remains a key player for Milan, with Stefano Pioli’s decision to start the American in this match offering more evidence of his faith in the young midfielder.

GOAL’S RATINGS

Christian Pulisic (8/10):

Big player, big game, big goal. He couldn’t quite keep his side in the Champions League, but the goal was another statement from the American star,

Yunus Musah (6/10):

Solid in the midfield and played a part in the goal. Showed off the physical side of his game, too, in a massive match.

WHAT COMES NEXT?

With the Champions League dream now dead, Milan will now focus on the Serie A title race as they compete with Inter and Juventus atop the table. As things stand, Milan are nine points back of first-place Inter and seven points back of second-place Juve heading into this weekend’s clash with Monza.

Their Europa League run, meanwhile, will begin in the spring as the club looks to make a deep run in that competition.