Christian Pulisic's injury proved to be a big problem for AC Milan, who fell at home to Udinese on Saturday.
Pulisic was ruled out for Saturday's match due to injury, and Milan's attack fell totally flat without him in a 1-0 loss at San Siro. It was a lifeless performance from the Serie A giants, who struggled to do much of anything against an Udinese team that looks destined for a relegation fight.
While one U.S. men's national team star, Pulisic, missed out, another, Yunus Musah, got the start, although he couldn't do much to help Milan in a disappointing performance.
WHAT HAPPENED?
Pioli deployed a Milan attack featuring Rafael Leao, Olivier Giroud and Luka Jovic, but that attack struggled to create much of anything on the day. The trio lasted just 45 minutes together before Jovic, having failed to seize his opportunity, was removed in favor of Noah Okafor.
It didn't fix much of anything for Milan, who were finally punished when Irish winger Festy Ebosele was dragged down in the box. After some thought, the referee pointed to the spot, allowing captain Roberto Pereyra to give Udinese the lead.
THE BIGGER PICTURE
It's a frustrating defeat for Milan, who now sit third in Serie A through 11 matches. They're a point behind Juve, who play on Sunday, while Inter sit six points ahead of their red rivals atop the league.
The Milan attack, in particular, has struggled in recent weeks, having scored just three goals in their last six matches. As a result, they face an uphill battle in Serie A and will face a major fight to stay in the Champions League when they return to that competition midweek.
USMNT IMPACT
Musah earned the start for Milan as he remains a key part of Pioli's plans.
The American has started eight of the last nine matches for Milan, which is great news for both the midfielder and the USMNT. He continues to have Pioli's trust, having had to earn his spot in the XI after being eased in to start the season.
However, he never quite got going in the midfield in this one. His passing was fantastic, as he misplaced just one of his 33 passes, while he did put a shot on target. However, he wasn't able to add much else in the attacking end in a game where Milan needed a spark from someone, anyone, on the field.
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