Christian Pulisic did not make an impact at the Mapei Stadium, and AC Milan's attacking problems were laid bare again. The U.S. forward has not found the net since Dec. 28, 2025, as Milan prepare to face Atalanta on Sunday evening at 20.45 at San Siro.
Milan have scored just one goal in their last five matches, and the last time one of their strikers scored was on March 1 at the Zini against Cremonese. That drought has left the club seventh in the second half of the season with 25 points, well behind the 42 they had at the same stage in the first leg, when Inter set the pace with 45 points.
Massimiliano Allegri said before the Sassuolo game that his side could not throw away 10 months of work like this, a warning that now feels sharper with three games to go and Roma sitting fifth, three points ahead of Milan. His message was not just about results, but about the way the attack has gone cold at the wrong time.
Santiago Gimenez is expected to remain part of the discussion, even if his season has been shaped by injury rather than form. The striker has played 15 matches across the league and the Italian Cup, but his last start came in the first leg against Atalanta on Oct. 28. He returned at the end of March after arthroscopic ankle surgery in December and has made only four appearances since, playing barely half an hour at most.
Allegri has already said Gimenez will give the team a hand at the end of the season, and has stressed that finding rhythm after a long layoff is never simple. He called the 25-year-old a valuable player who remains valuable regardless of how this season has gone. That opens the door for a player who may not be sharp yet, but still offers Milan one of the few alternatives they have left.
The tension around the attack is not limited to Pulisic and Gimenez. Leao continued to struggle against Sassuolo, Nkunku was sent off at half-time, and the squad has been patched together through a stretch that has yielded five defeats in its last 10 matches after 24 consecutive unbeaten results. Milan's decline has been abrupt, and the numbers now say the same thing the performances do.
There is also more change coming behind them. Tomori will miss out through suspension after his dismissal last Sunday, while De Winter will return to the starting lineup in his place. Estupinan and Bartesaghi are competing for a role in the defensive line, and Allegri is trying to balance short-term repair with a season that is slipping toward its final act. The next answer will come against Atalanta, where Milan need more than possession and more than names. They need a goal, and soon.
