Christopher Nkunku has finally scored in a league match, something he hadn’t done for 306 days (in the Premier League with Chelsea against Southampton). Yesterday, against Hellas Verona, the Frenchman not only scored his first Serie A goals, but also recorded a brace for the first time in over a year (his previous brace before this, also with Chelsea, was on November 7, 2024, in the Conference League).
Nkunku's turning point?
La Gazzetta dello Sport reports this morning that both Massimiliano Allegri and Milan fans had been waiting far too long for his first league goal. His first months at Milan were a real mystery, so much so that some had even questioned whether he would stay at Milanello in January. The hope is that yesterday’s brace can truly change the course of his season. Interestingly, his first joys in Serie A came while Niclas Fullkrug, Milan’s first winter signing, was in the stands. Fullkrug was brought in partly because of Nkunku’s scoring difficulties.
What happened during the penalty shows how united and close the Rossoneri squad really is. Everyone knew how much being goalless in the league was affecting Nkunku, so the team decided he should take the penalty. "He deserved the goal. He works hard in training, but when forwards don’t score, they’re not happy. We hope he now has a lot of confidence, because we know the quality of player he is. We are here to help him and we are happy for him," Luka Modric explained after the match.
