Christian Pulisic scored the winning goal for AC Milan in the Derby della Madonnina against Inter Milan on Sunday, finding the back of the net for the first time since returning from injury.
The goal brought the U.S. men’s national team star to seven goals and two assists in 10 matches across all competitions this season. It marked the first time Pulisic found the back of the net since he bagged a goal and an assist in the Rossoneri’s 2–1 win over Napoli on Sept. 28.
Now at five Serie A goals this season, the USMNT captain sits tied for the Golden Boot lead despite only playing eight of Milan’s 12 matches. Inter’s Hakan Çalhanoğlu also has five, and missed his opportunity to retake his standalone lead after he fired a 78th-minute penalty kick attempt right at Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan.
Pulisic’s goal in the 54th minute came off positioning. The 27-year-old put himself in the perfect place to finish a rebound after Alexis Saelemaekers took a low-driven shot from outside the box, only to be parried into Pulisic’s path by veteran Swiss goalkeeper Yann Sommer.
CHRISTIAN PULISIC SCORES IN THE DERBY DELLA MADONNINA 🔥🇺🇸
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) November 23, 2025
HIS THIRD GOAL IN EIGHT MATCHES AGAINST INTER 💪 pic.twitter.com/AAG5uEOyob
While Pulisic made headlines with the goal, he finished the night with two shots, 38 touches and two successful dribbles before exiting the match for Christopher Nkunku in the 78th minute.
With the victory, Milan pushed themselves up to second in Serie A on 25 points, two back of AS Roma for top spot, as they look ahead to next week’s clash with eighth-place Lazio.
Serie A Golden Boot Race
Pulisic: Milan Derby Winner ‘Means Everything’
Pulisic missed a string of four matches for Milan after sustaining an injury while playing for the USMNT on Oct. 15, coming off the pitch early in a victory against Australia in what Milan later diagnosed as a “low-grade hamstring injury.”
Before his absence, he had gotten off to a stellar start to the Italian campaign with four goals and two assists through this season’s first five Serie A games, good enough to lead the Golden Boot race at that point.
“It means everything, honestly, just the result today means even more, puts us in a good place. I’m really happy to come back after tough moments in the last month and to help the team win,” Pulisic told CBS Sports postgame.
“I think I can improve even more. I don’t feel 100% sharp after coming back from an injury and some time out, but it just shows the resilience. I work really hard, and I’m happy a moment like today can come. So it means a lot to me.”
Pulisic will hope to keep his form up leading into the most consequential year of his career as the USMNT talisman for the 2026 World Cup, co-hosted in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
After missing the November international window to focus on his recovery from injury, he is expected to rejoin manager Mauricio Pochettino’s USMNT for two March friendlies against some of the world’s best teams.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Christian Pulisic Wins Derby for AC Milan, Takes Golden Boot Lead After Injury Absence .
