At the Bluenergy Stadium in Udine, Allegri called this “a very important test.” He wanted a strong performance and a win. Mission accomplished.
Milan took its third straight victory, final score 3-0. Goals by Pulisic (two) and Youssouf Fofana. Also the third consecutive clean sheet.
Serie A, Udinese-Milan: first half
Minute 3: first chance for Milan. Pulisic’s shot from a tight angle inside the box, Sava saves for a corner. Milan control possession, Udinese compact waiting to counter. Allegri’s side, guided tonight by assistant Landucci, struggled to break through. Minute 19: chance for Gimenez after Estupiñan’s assist, but the Mexican fired straight at Sava despite having time to do better.
Minute 30: Atta booked for a foul on Rabiot. From the following Modric free kick, Davis’ header clears danger for Udinese. Minute 35: low cross from Atta, no teammate connects. Minute 40: Pulisic goal. Estupiñan’s low cross deflected by Karlstrom, Sava prevents an own goal but the American scores with a precise left-foot finish from inside the box. First half ends 0-1.
It was a decent performance in the first half, and the supporters were able to breathe a fresh sigh of relief with Christian Pulisic’s opener. Eventually, such victories build much enthusiasm for the fans and it also increases interest in the Rossoneri’s progress which is not limited to Italy.
Nowadays, fans follow every game closely, and many choose to bet from overseas on Serie A matches to feel part of the action. Performances like Pulisic’s in Udine strengthen Milan’s appeal well beyond national borders.
Udinese - Milan: second half
Coach Runjaic brings in Buksa for Bravo after the break. Minute 47: Milan goal. Fofana wins the ball in the box and scores with a low right-footed shot. Minute 50: Zemura booked for a foul on Saelemaekers. Minute 53: another Pulisic goal. Assisted by Rabiot, he shoots diagonally at the near post. Sava fails to stop it. Udinese-Milan 0-3. Milan in full control.
Minute 58: Runjaic sends in Zanoli, Modesto, Zaniolo for Ehizibue, Ekkelenkamp, Davies. Minute 60: Pulisic sets up Gimenez, but Kristensen intercepts. Minute 62: Landucci replaces Pulisic and Gimenez with Loftus-Cheek and Nkunku. A minute later, Saelemaekers’ cross, Loftus-Cheek’s header, ball over. Minute 67: Pavlovic and Fofana off, De Winter and Ricci on.
Minute 78: Atta shoots, Terracciano saves easily. Minute 79: Zaniolo tries from distance, wide. Minute 80: Sava blocks Saelemaekers’ shot inside the box. Minute 81: Modric substituted, standing ovation, debut for Athekame. Minute 84: Loftus-Cheek delays his pass to Nkunku, ball deflected for a corner. Soon after, Estupiñan’s long-range strike goes narrowly wide. In stoppage time, Estupiñan finds Rabiot’s run, but the Frenchman’s left-footed shot misses the target.
Who was the best player on the pitch in Udinese - Milan?
It was Christian Pulisic who starred in Udinese - Milan with a brace and a top-level performance: no one matches him in Serie A, here are the details.
In fact, AC Milan dominated Udinese with a clear 3-0 win. The team extended its streak after beating Lecce and Bologna in the past weeks. Allegri's team went on also to beat Lecce (again) in Coppa Italia last night and Pulisic scored the third goal after coming on from the bench.
Three wins in a row in the league. Beyond the result, Milan showed it is a completely different side compared to the past. From the first minute, the impression was that victory was never in doubt. Strong defensive structure, confirmed by another clean sheet. The last goal conceded in Serie A was Bonazzoli’s overhead kick for Cremonese on the opening day. Allegri, who failed badly in his last cycle at Juventus, is proving to have reinvented himself. His principles have shifted, and he now has a high-level squad. In Udine, the key man was back from the start: Christian Pulisic, clearly the best of all.
Christian Pulisic's numbers: no one like him in Italy:
Since joining Milan in summer 2023 for only 20 million, one of the rare successful moves after Maldini, he has stood out and quickly become the strongest and most important player in the team. Not only for goals, but also for assists and tactical intelligence. He is a complete player, among the best in the world.
His Serie A numbers are impressive. OptaPaolo highlighted that he is the first player in the last three Serie A seasons to record 25 goals and 15 assists. His total is 25 goals and 17 assists since arriving in Italy. Extraordinary output for an extraordinary player. He had missed the Lecce and Bologna matches as a starter due to physical issues, but now he is fully fit. When in this form, he must always start. That should never be questioned.
Rafael Leao is also untouchable. When he returns, he will reclaim his spot from Santiago Gimenez, leaving the Mexican and Nkunku to fight for space (with the two already scoring their first goals of the season against Lecce in Coppa Italia round of 32). This season, everyone will matter. Milan only has the league and with such a squad must aim for the Scudetto.
