Pulisic Missed His Spot Kick, Milan-Juventus Ended in a Goalless Draw
Christian Pulisic's missed penalty proved decisive as AC Milan and Juventus played to a goalless draw in Serie A on Sunday, with the American captain facing off against fellow USMNT midfielder Weston McKennie in Turin. The result ended Milan's impressive five-match winning streak and dropped them from first to third place in the table.
Pulisic, who leads Milan with six goals and two assists this season, sent his second-half penalty soaring over the crossbar after Santiago Gimenez was brought down by Lloyd Kelly inside the box. The miss marked only the second penalty failure of Pulisic's professional career, leaving his record at 13 conversions and two misses for club and country. Despite the disappointment, Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri backed his player, stating that Pulisic "had an extraordinary game" and would remain the designated penalty taker.
The American immediately took responsibility for the costly error, posting an apology to Milan supporters on Instagram: "It kills me to let this club down. I'll work ten times harder to fix it. Forza Milan always."
Pulisic's compatriot McKennie squandered several early chances for Juventus, who extended their winless run to five consecutive draws across all competitions. McKennie recorded the fewest touches of any outfield player to complete 90 minutes with just 38. However, he covered the most ground in the match with 10.7 km covered, created two chances and maintained an 85% passing accuracy.
Milan nearly snatched victory in stoppage time when Rafael Leão's effort was denied by Juventus goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio, while Leão had earlier attempted an audacious long-range shot after spotting the keeper off his line. The draw left Milan two points behind leaders Napoli and Roma, while Juventus remained a further point back in fifth. Both teams entered the international break frustrated by their inability to capitalize on scoring opportunities in a match that featured few clear-cut chances outside Pulisic's penalty miss.
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