After a narrow loss to Arsenal earlier in the tour, AC Milan bounced back in style with an impressive 4–2 victory over Liverpool in Hong Kong on Saturday. The match, part of their Asia-Pacific preseason campaign, saw a standout performance from U.S. international Christian Pulisic, who continues to strengthen his position in Massimiliano Allegri’s starting lineup.
Pulisic, 26, once again earned a place in the starting XI—just as he had in the previous game against Arsenal—and played a key role in Milan’s early momentum. In front of nearly 50,000 fans at Kai Tak Sports Park, he initiated the first goal with a brilliant turn and deep pass that set up Rafael Leão for a powerful finish past Alisson Becker and Virgil van Dijk in the 10th minute.
Liverpool responded midway through the first half, with Dominik Szoboszlai firing a spectacular long-range shot into the top corner. But Milan regained control in the second half: Ruben Loftus-Cheek put them ahead in the 52nd minute, and Pulisic’s substitute, Noah Okafor, extended the lead just minutes later.
Although Cody Gakpo narrowed the gap with a late header in stoppage time, Liverpool’s comeback was short-lived. A misplayed back pass by Kostas Tsimikas gifted Okafor his second goal of the night, sealing Milan’s win in dramatic fashion.
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Pulisic, who has faced scrutiny for skipping the recent Gold Cup, took to Instagram after the match to express his excitement: “Great test for us today! Thank you Hong Kong.”
With contract talks reportedly underway, the American midfielder is making a strong case for a long-term future in Milan.
