Christian Pulisic marks new deal by scoring again in Milan derby win

MILAN (AP) — Christian Pulisic loves the Milan derby.

It took Pulisic less than four minutes to mark signing a new contract by scoring the goal that set AC Milan on the way to a 3-1 victory over fierce rival Inter Milan in Serie A on Saturday, inflicting the first defeat of the season on the league leader and defending champion.

It was Pulisic’s fourth goal in the Milan derby. The United States international has scored more times only against Lecce (seven).

Pulisic, who has 45 goals in 142 appearances for Milan since joining in 2023, penned a five-year contract extension on Friday — tying him to the Serie A team until 2031.

“I want to continue scoring goals in the derby, so that way we’ll win,” Pulisic said with a smile after Milan’s fourth straight derby victory. “These are three very important points, but we’ve got to find this consistency to play like this all the time. In the big games, it’s not a surprise that we do well.”

The Milan derby always has a high-octane atmosphere, with lavish displays of pre-match choreography from both sets of fans, and Saturday night was no different for nearly 78,000 spectators at San Siro.

Inter fans unfurled a giant display with a banner proclaiming that “fairytale time is over for you” — directed at their rivals.

But it must have seemed as if the Milan fans were indeed in dreamland as they saw their team go 2-0 up within 10 minutes.

Pulisic pounced first, meeting a Diego Moreira cross with the flick of the neck to head it into the far corner in the fourth minute.

Milan doubled its lead six minutes later with a corner kick routine that was evidently planned. Adrien Rabiot peeled off his marker to dink Moreira’s corner in off the inside of the far post.

Alessandro Bastoni headed in a corner to pull one back for Inter in the 22nd but Moreira got on the scoresheet himself shortly before the break. Both he and Pulisic were standing over a free kick but it was the Belgium international who curled a stunning effort into the top right corner.

It was the first time Moreira had scored from a free kick.

“I scored many in training,” Moreira said with a laugh. “Pulisic said to me, ‘I believe in you,’ and he was right.”

The result lifted Milan into fourth place, four points behind joint leaders Inter and Lazio — which can move solo atop Serie A with a result at home to Cagliari on Sunday.

The match came two days after the Milan clubs unveiled plans for their new stadium, which will be built adjacent to the existing arena.

There should still be at least nine derby matches remaining at the iconic San Siro before the teams move to the new stadium for, they hope, the 2031-32 season.

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