Pulisic, who leads the team in scoring, was only available off the bench due to illness, while Musah played 90 minutes as Milan fell to Napoli.
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Napoli defeat AC Milan 2-0Christian Pulisic dealt with stomach virusYunus Musah plays 90Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
AC Milan fell short of a three-game winning streak with a 2-0 loss to Serie A leaders Napoli. U.S. international Yunus Musah earned his second start of the season but struggled to make an impact, while USMNT and star Christian Pulisic, dealing with a stomach virus, began the match on the bench.
Antonio Conte's Napoli were a class apart Tuesday as both goals from the came in the first half, courtesy of Romelu Lukaku and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Pulisic was called upon midway through the second half, but was rather unrecognizable as he struggled to adapt to the tempo of the match while down two goals.
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Tuesday marked the first Serie A match this season that Pulisic did not start for the , while Musah earned a rare spot in the starting XI. It was the 21-year-old midfielders first start since Aug. 24 – a 2-1 loss to Parma.
Pulisic was introduced into the match in the 62nd minute, registering two shots on target in his 28-minute cameo. Musah, meanwhile, was one of the's top-performers on the night, running the show from the midfield.
For Milan, Tuesday saw them earn their third loss of the campaign, while they dropped to eighth place in the league standings. For manager Paulo Fonseca, who joined the club in the summer, it was a grim performance where he took risks with his starting XI that did not pay off. The decision to bench star winger Rafael Leao and England international Fikayo Tomori was a bold call, especially considering their status as fan favorites.
DID YOU KNOW?
Pulisic is the fourth-highest scorer in Serie A this season with five goals. On top of that, he has three assists, making it eight goal contributions in nine regular season matches.
Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR PULISIC, MUSAH AND MILAN?
The are back in action on Saturday, Nov. 2 in Serie A against Monza. Paulo Fonseca's side will look to rebound from their midweek defeat with a crucial three points on the cards.
