Always follow the play — Christian Pulisic remembered the script and Manuel Akanji didn’t quite know his lines.
And so it went that AC Milan took a 1-0 lead over rivals Inter Milan in a _Derby Della Madonnina_ with real _scudetto_ juice.
**MORE —** [Serie A table, leading scorers](https://www.nbcsports.com/soccer/news/serie-a-2025-26-season-schedule-leading-scorers-table-usmnt-players)
Rafael Leao drove an odd-numbers rush toward Inter’s goal, laying the ball wide for Alexis Saelemaekers. The Belgian winger slipped as he was shooting, which helped Yann Sommer get to his right and slap the ball away from the far post.
But Pulisic never stopped running and Akanji was a step slow to react, helping the USMNT man make it 1-0.
The 27-year-old American star announced his full return to Milan with style. Pulisic missed four-straight Serie A games with a hamstring injury and managed just 20 minutes against Parma before the international break, and did not join the USMNT for their matches versus Paraguay and Uruguay.
Back in the Starting XI for the derby, Pulisic opened the scoring with his fifth Serie A goal this season to go with two assists in eight appearances. He’s also scored goals in both of Milan’s _Coppa Italia_ matches.
The five goals level him with Inter’s Hakan Calhanoglu and Bologna’s Riccardo Orsolini in what’s been a finish-challenged Serie A season.
Milan would pull ahead of Inter and into second place with a win, two points back of AS Roma, while Pulisic’s next goal will be his 40th in an AC Milan shirt.
WATCH: Christian Pulisic buries rebound to give AC Milan derby lead over Inter Milan
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