SUPER-SUB CHRISTIAN PULISIC BAGS TWO; MILAN'S 3-2 THRILLER KEEPS TOP SPOT
A 29-meter strike from Rabiot and a Pulisic brace secured a season-defining 3-2 victory for AC Milan, demonstrating determination in the title race.
After recovering from a fever, Christian Pulisic scored twice in AC Milan’s 3-2 victory at Torino. Adrien Rabiot chipped in, describing his own fantastic goal.
The USMNT star wasn’t even supposed to play. He had a high temperature the night before and only joined his teammates a few hours before the game.
Coming off the bench, he scored twice, helping turn a 2-0 deficit into a 3-2 win against Torino. Rabiot added a goal from 29 meters out.
I was really sick two days ago, but I felt better today. “I’m just glad I could be here and help the team,” Pulisic told Sky Sport Italia.
I didn’t know if I could play. I felt better this morning. I’m happier about the win than my goals.
Pulisic has played less compared to past seasons because of injuries, but has scored seven goals in nine Serie A games.
It’s been a weird season, and I want to get more playing time. We’ll focus on each game and see where we stand at the end of the season.
Milan's win means they're still at the top of the table with Napoli, one point ahead of Inter, a good response to their Coppa Italia exit to Lazio.
We started badly, but we improved halfway through the first half. We knew we had to play better in the second half and be more determined. We picked up the tempo, and Christian’s substitution helped, Rabiot told Sky Sport Italia.
These are the games that can turn a season around. It shows we’re determined and focused. We need to start stronger because we can’t always expect to come back from 2-0 down.
Rabiot's goal was amazing, maybe the best of his career, and seemed to come out of nowhere.
We needed a spark, and sometimes you have to try something different. We made errors, but the important thing was our attitude and how we turned it around. Everyone who came off the bench played well, said the France international.
We’ll see what happens, but with this attitude, we can go far.
Rafael Leao left the game in the first half with a possible adductor injury in his right leg.
ROMA LOAN CUT SHORT: GASPERINI SAYS EVAN FERGUSON NEEDS TO IMPROVE "TECHNICALLY AND PERSONALLY."
Roma coach Gian Piero Gasperini clarified he doesn't dislike Evan Ferguson but issued a clear demand: the striker must "up his game, not just technically, but also as a person."
Roma coach Gian Piero Gasperini has told Evan Ferguson he needs to improve.
Gasperini clarified that he doesn't dislike the striker, who is on loan.
There have been reports that Roma might want to end their season-long deal with Albion for the Republic of Ireland international, as he hasn't made a big splash in Italy yet.
Gasperini hasn't said he wants to cut the loan short. Most sources suggest it's possible, but only if Albion agrees.
Gazzetta Dello Sport even ran a headline this week suggesting Roma had already decided.
Many fans and media jumped on this, especially since Albion striker Stefanos Tzimas just suffered a knee injury that will sideline him for months.
Gasperini has supported Ferguson, who has been dealing with his own injury.
However, he seemed to lay down the law before the Europa League game against Celtic.
At a recent press conference, the Roma boss said he had no antipathy toward Ferguson, but he seemed to imply that he wants Ferguson to step up his game.
Gasperini told reporters, “There's no dislike for the players; it's about their performances.
“Ferguson has had many chances. Do we want to be patient with him? Yes, we do.
“He needs to up his game, not just technically, but also as a person.”
While Ferguson hasn't been at his peak, he also hasn't gotten great support when he's been on the field in Serie A or the Europa League.
Gasperini seemed to acknowledge this before the Parkhead game.
He said, “We haven't scored much all year, so it's probably a structural issue for us, even though we've played well at times.
“In these last two games, we haven't been creating as many dangerous chances.
“This isn't about individual players; it's a team problem.
TACTICAL WOES: GIAN PIERO GASPERINI CANNOT SOLVE ROMA'S SCORING DROUGHT; ONLY ONE SECOND-HALF SHOT
Gianluca Gaetano's late goal sealed a 1-0 loss for 10-man Roma, marking their second straight defeat. Their severe offensive struggles (15 goals in 14 games) threaten their top-four standing.
Gianluca Gaetano scored a great goal from a beautiful corner kick by Sebastiano Esposito in the 81st minute. This secured a win for Cagliari against a Roma team that was down a player at Stadio Unipol Domus. This loss marks Roma's second in a row, following their 1-0 defeat to Napoli the week before.
There was talk about Gian Piero Gasperini potentially ending Roma's 25-year wait for a league title, especially after their wins against weaker teams. They played well enough to be considered in the conversation around potential Scudetto winners. But they failed to win against title contenders like Inter, Milan, and Napoli. Even though they have the best defence in the league right now, letting in only eight goals, there are worries about Roma's chances of finishing in the top four because they struggled to score.
Right now, the team barely holds a spot in the top four, with only three points separating them from Bologna, who have a game in hand against Lazio later today.
Even though Celik's bad foul on Michael Folorunsho got him a red card, Roma's offence just couldn't get going. The team only had one shot in the whole second half.
The second half perfectly showed Roma's problems scoring goals this season. They've only scored 15 goals in 14 games.
Big-name forwards like Paulo Dybala, Artem Dovbyk, and Evan Ferguson have only scored a total of four goals in the Italian top league.
It will be interesting to see if Gasperini can fix their scoring issues and stop Roma from missing out on a top-four finish for the eighth season in a row.