Serie A | Torino 2-3 AC Milan: Pulisic fever completes comeback victory

Christian Pulisic shrugged off a fever to score twice for AC Milan, turning around a 2-0 deficit at Torino along with Adrien Rabiot’s screamer, but Rafael Leao went off injured.

The Rossoneri were fresh off their first competitive defeat since the opening weekend, crashing out of the Coppa Italia 1-0 to Lazio on Thursday, but knew a win here would keep them joint top of the table with Napoli. Pulisic was not originally part of the squad with a fever last night, so only travelled to join his teammates this afternoon, with Santiago Gimenez and Zachary Athekame still out. Toro were without a victory in five rounds, coming off back-to-back defeats against Como and Lecce. Giovanni Simeone joined Zanos Savva and Perr Schuurs on the treatment table.

Max Allegri watched from the stands, sitting out yet another touchline ban for dissent.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

It was the worst possible start for Milan, because Fikayo Tomori clumsily flailed an arm and connected with the ball as Che Adams tried to turn in the box. It was spotted by the referee for a penalty, which Nikola Vlasic converted hard and low into the bottom corner, despite Mike Maignan getting his fingertips to it.

Torino doubled their lead when Adrien Tameze robbed Christopher Nkunku and sparked a counter-attack, which Duvan Zapata finalised by blasting through Strahinja Pavlovic’s legs from 11 yards to squirm under Maignan. The goalkeeper was furious in his protests that Nkunku was fouled, but the striker was just too weak in that challenge. It was Duvan Zapata’s first goal in well over a year, since his serious injury problems.

Milan pulled one back out of nowhere with a stunning long-range strike from Adrien Rabiot that arrowed into the far top corner, giving Franco Israel no chance. It was clocked at 29 metres out, the longest range goal for Milan since Keisuke Honda from 30 metres in February 2016 against Genoa.

Rafael Leao scuffed a finish wide, but it was during that move that he suddenly stopped and grimaced, limping off the field moments later clutching the top of his right thigh and adductor. He was replaced by Samuele Ricci, facing his former club.

The visitors began to take control of the game and Rabiot threatened a second when he volleyed the Alexis Saelemaekers cross wide of the far post.

After the restart, Ruben Loftus-Cheek pulled back from the by-line for a Nkunku back-heel flick, but Israel needed a big double save on the Davide Bartesaghi header at the far post and then denying Ricci’s attempt on the rebound too, both from point-blank range.

Vlasic and Marcus Pedersen bent finishes wide from outside the area, while Nkunku had penalty appeals rejected as he went down far too easily under a Guillermo Maripan nudge.

Pulisic was originally not in the squad due to a high fever and made the journey to Turin this afternoon, but was thrown on and equalised with his first touch. The Saelemaekers cross went over Pavlovic, he stopped it dead and fired in from eight yards.

Che Adams had the ball in the net, but only after Pedersen had crashed into the back of Saelemaekers for an obvious foul.

Toro also lost a player, as Adrien Tameze limped off and before Adam Masina was able to come on, they conceded a third goal. It was Pulisic again to turn the whole game around, as he peeled away for the cushioned half-volley off the inside of the left boot to meet the bouncing Ricci cross from eight yards. It was his seventh goal in just nine Serie A appearances this season.

Pulisic had the ball in the net for the third time, but the hat-trick didn’t count because Nkunku was already offside before rolling across the six-yard box. Zakaria Aboukhlal also got back for a decisive sliding tackle on another Pulisic counter-attack.

Vlasic pen 10 (T), Duvan Zapata 17 (T), Rabiot 24 (M), Pulisic 67, 77 (M)