Pulisic Inspires Dramatic Milan Revival with Late Brace in Turin Thriller

Key Takeaways:

• Christian Pulisic came off the bench to score twice, securing a 3:2 victory for Milan against Torino in the final match of Serie A’s 14th round
• The Rossoneri overturned a two-goal deficit after Torino led 2:0 within the opening 17 minutes
• With this result, Milan ended a run of three consecutive away defeats to this opponent and reclaimed top spot courtesy of goal difference over Napoli

First-Half Drama: Early Torino Advantage and Rapid Response

Torino looked set for an emphatic win after taking a swift 2:0 lead at home against Milan in the 14th round of Serie A. Nikola Vlašić broke the deadlock in the 10th minute with a penalty, awarded for a handball by Fikayo Tomori. Though Mike Maignan nearly denied him, the Torino midfielder found the net, denying Maignan a third consecutive penalty save in the league. The home side doubled their advantage soon after. Despite Kristjan Asllani’s long-range effort being comfortably gathered by the opposing goalkeeper, Torino refused to relent. Adrien Tameze won possession from Christopher Nkunku, embarking on a surging run before feeding Vlašić, who powered forward and supplied Duván Zapata to make it 2:0 in the 17th minute, with the striker’s angled finish getting the better of Strahinja Pavlović and Maignan.

WHAT. A. COMEBACK. 🔁

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— AC Milan (@acmilan) December 8, 2025

Milan, however, responded swiftly. Adrien Rabiot, marking his first goal for the club, found the top corner from 29 metres out in the 24th minute with the Rossoneri’s first shot of the game. Rafael Leão attempted another strike from distance just four minutes later but failed to hit the target, and suffered a muscle injury during the action. This forced Milan into a change, with Samuele Ricci replacing the Portuguese attacker and Ruben Loftus-Cheek moving into a more attacking role. Before the break, both Nkunku and Rabiot came close to an equaliser, but the hosts preserved their one-goal cushion heading into half-time.

Second-Half Turnaround: Pulisic’s Game-Changing Introduction

The restart saw Milan show renewed intent, beginning with Nkunku’s backheel attempt and a speculative long-range effort from Pavlović. In the 55th minute, Franco Israel produced an impressive double save to keep out a powerful header from Bartesaghi and a follow-up by Ricci, keeping Torino ahead. Soon after, Faustino Anjorin received a yellow card for a dangerous challenge on Alexis Saelemaekers, and subsequent opportunities from Vlašić and Markus Pedersen failed to trouble the Milan goal.

The match pivoted when Christian Pulisic entered the pitch in the 66th minute. Moments after his introduction, Pulisic levelled the scores at 2:2, finishing low past the Torino goalkeeper following a delivery from Saelemaekers. Although Che Adams briefly restored hope for the hosts with a goal, it was chalked off for a foul by Pedersen on the Belgian full-back. Milan seized control in the 78th minute: Ricci’s pass picked out Pulisic near the penalty spot, and the American struck with a decisive volley to complete the turnaround. Pulisic appeared to have a hat-trick at the end of regular time, but his third was disallowed as Nkunku was adjudged offside in the build-up.

Implications for the Standings

This hard-fought win marks Milan’s third consecutive victory in Serie A and lifts them onto 31 points, reclaiming first position in the table due to their superior goal difference over Napoli. For Torino, the defeat extends their losing run to three matches, and they remain 16th on 14 points.

Match Statistics

Scorers

• 1:0 Vlašić (10′ – penalty)
• 2:0 Zapata (17′)
• 2:1 Rabiot (24′)
• 2:2 Pulisic (67′)
• 2:3 Pulisic (78′)