Milan head coach Massimilano Allegri has stood by Christian Pulisic after the US national team forward missed a penalty against Juventus in a nail-biting Serie A encounter on Sunday. The manager, who returned as the Rossoneri boss earlier this summer, has firmly stated that one miss will not prompt him to change his team's routine penalty-taker.
Allegri firm on his position
Milan dropped two points against Juventus in a gripping encounter, and the main reason behind it was Pulisic's missed penalty in the first half. Allegri, however, did not criticise his main man up fron, insisting he will not be making a change. Confirming his trust in the 27-year-old, the Italian manager said, "Pulisic has always been the penalty kick taker. You don’t change it for a mistake."
He also shared his concern about who will be the penalty-taker in Pulisic's absence. "We need to understand who can be the penalty taker when Pulisic is not on the pitch," he added.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportPulisic is Serie A's top-scorer
Despite the spot-kick debacle, Pulisic continues to dominate the goal-scoring chart, having scored four goals in six appearances so far. He is the joint top-scorer, however, with Bologna's Riccardo Orsolini. Following him in the table are Napoli's Kevin De Bruyne and Inter's Lautaro Martinez, and Marcus Thuram. Apart from the four goals, he has two assists to his name, too. He has been influential in the Coppa Italia with two goals in two outings.
Milan lose golden opportunity?
Milan have lost only one game in the Serie A so far, and that came in their opening fixture against Cremonese. In their build-up to the much-desired Scudetto, the Rossoneri have accumulated 13 points in six games and have defeated defending champions and the current league leaders Napoli as well. A win against Juventus would have helped them move top after six rounds of competitive matches; however, the stalemate against the Bianconeri has left them third. Although Pulisic was the one who missed the spot-kick, Milan's frontline as a whole remain under scrutiny for their lack of ruthlessness, with Allegri urging them to kill games.
AFPMilan have important fixtures after the international break
Once the October international break concludes, Milan will have some challenges awaiting them. On October 19, they'll face Fiorentina, followed by a comparatively easier fixture against bottom-dwellers Pisa five days later. In their next two games, they will take on Atalanta (October 28) and Gian Piero Gasperini's Roma (November 2).
