In a night that will live long in the memory of AC Milan fans, the Italian giants pulled off a remarkable 3-1 victory over Champions League holders Real Madrid at the iconic Santiago Bernabeu stadium. American soccer star Christian Pulisic played a key role in the stunning upset, setting up the opening goal and being involved in the second as Milan silenced the Madrid faithful.
Pulisic Sets the Tone
The match got off to a dream start for the visitors, with Pulisic’s corner finding the head of Malick Thiaw, who powered the ball past Madrid keeper Andriy Lunin to give Milan a shock 12th-minute lead. The goal stunned the Bernabeu crowd and set the tone for a memorable night for the Rossoneri.
Real Madrid managed to equalize from the penalty spot through *Vinícius* *Júnior* in the 23rd minute after the Brazilian was tripped in the box. But Milan refused to be intimidated by the occasion or their illustrious opponents.
Morata Haunts His Former Club
Pulisic was again involved as Milan retook the lead, his pass finding *Rafael* *Leão* in the box. The Portuguese forward’s shot was saved by Lunin, but *Álvaro* *Morata* was on hand to poke home the rebound against his former club. The Spanish striker, who endured a difficult spell at Real Madrid, celebrated wildly as the away fans erupted in joy.
Amazing result for us. I mean to come here and play is of course not easy [because of] their history in the champions league.
A tough place to come and play so for us to put on a performance like that and win the game, obviously a really special night for us.
Christian Pulisic
Reijnders Seals the Deal
With Real Madrid pushing for an equalizer, Milan struck the decisive blow through *Tijjani* *Reijnders*. The Dutch midfielder’s goal capped off a famous victory for Stefano Pioli’s side, who now sit 14th after four games of the revamped Champions League format.
- AC Milan stun Real Madrid 3-1 at the Bernabeu
- Christian Pulisic sets up opening goal, involved in second
- Álvaro Morata scores against his former club
- Tijjani Reijnders seals famous win for Italian giants
Contrasting Fortunes in Serie A
The victory provided a much-needed boost for Milan, who have struggled in Serie A this season. Coach Fonseca’s side sit seventh in the table ahead of Saturday’s trip to Cagliari. Pulisic emphasized the importance of following up the Madrid win with a strong domestic performance:
Our coach just said enjoy tonight, we gotta rest up tomorrow because we’ve got a big game coming this weekend and if we don’t win that one then this doesn’t mean anything.
Christian Pulisic
For Real Madrid, the defeat raises serious questions about their form and mentality. The Spanish giants have now lost two of their first four Champions League games and face an uphill battle to qualify for the knockout stages. Coach Carlo Ancelotti will need to quickly rally his troops to avoid an embarrassing early exit.
A Night to Remember
But for now, the night belongs to AC Milan and their American star Christian Pulisic. The victory at the Bernabeu will go down as one of the great European results in the club’s illustrious history. For Pulisic, it was a performance that underlined his status as one of the most exciting talents in world soccer.
As the Milan players celebrated wildly with their fans at the final whistle, the message was clear – write off this team at your peril. With Pulisic in this form and a squad full of talent and determination, AC Milan could be a force to be reckoned with in this season’s Champions League.
