LAST UPDATE | 7 Oct 2023
Updated at 22.23
CHRISTIAN PULISIC FIRED AC Milan top of Serie A with a late goal in Saturday’s dramatic 1-0 win at Genoa in which both teams had their goalkeeper sent off in stoppage time, after Inter Milan threw away a two-goal lead in their 2-2 draw with Bologna.
Pulisic struck with three minutes remaining when he spun and slammed home the goal which was only given after a long VAR check for a possible handball while the USA star controlled the ball.
The 25-year-old’s fourth goal since signing for Milan in the summer moved his team two points ahead of Inter, some revenge for the five-goal humiliation suffered in last month’s derby.
Saturday’s narrow win against a spirited Genoa missing Italy forward Mateo Retegui was Milan’s fourth in a row in Italy’s top flight since being thumped by Inter.
It came following a largely stodgy contest at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris which came alive in the final minutes and finished with both teams down to 10 in the most unlikely of fashions.
Mike Maignan was dismissed in stoppage time for charging out of his goal and clattering into Caleb Ekuban, meaning that Milan will be without him and his France teammate Theo Hernandez against Juventus next week and had to have Olivier Giroud in goal for the final seconds.
Giroud had to immediately face down a free-kick which Albert Gudmundsson clipped onto the crossbar.
Then moments later, after Genoa’s Josep Martinez was shown a second yellow card while charging back to his own goal from the subsequent corner, Giroud produced an unorthodox double save to make sure Milan took the three points back to the San Siro.
Juventus are four points behind Milan in third after their 2-0 derby victory over struggling Torino.
In Spain, Jude Bellingham scored twice to send Real Madrid back top of La Liga on Saturday with a 4-0 win over Osasuna.
Girona’s 1-0 win at Cadiz temporarily gave the Catalan minnows a one-point lead but Madrid cruised to victory at the Santiago Bernabeu to reclaim first place, with Vinicius Junior and Joselu also scoring in the rout.
England international Bellingham, the division’s top scorer with eight goals, was at his unstoppable best once more in the final third.
Ancelotti has shifted the former Borussia Dortmund player into a more attacking role, with the freedom to move behind two more central strikers and it has paid dividends.
After scoring a brilliant solo goal against Napoli in midweek in the Champions League and adding two more against Osasuna, the midfielder now has 10 goals across both competitions in 10 appearances.
“Bellingham is finding a lot of chances in attack, he’s very involved in the team’s attacking play and not having a fixed position gives him an advantage,” Ancelotti told reporters.
“It’s been a surprising start to the season for him in all aspects. Obviously, nobody expected this level, in terms of goals.”
Champions Barcelona, who are third, visit Granada on Sunday.
In Germany, Borussia Dortmund came from behind to beat Union Berlin 4-2 and remain unbeaten in the Bundesliga on Saturday, despite Leonardo Bonucci scoring his first goal for the capital club.
Italian veteran Bonucci put Union ahead from the penalty spot in a dramatic first-half, but Dortmund battled back to claim their fifth win of the season.
“We were really good today. I usually like to be critical, but I think we can be really proud of this performance,” said Dortmund defender Mats Hummels.
Last season’s surprise package Union have now lost their last seven in all competitions as they also struggle with the step up to Champions League football in this campaign.
In France, Folarin Balogun and Wissam Ben Yedder scored as Monaco defeated Reims 3-1 on Saturday to keep hold of top spot in Ligue 1 ahead of Cote d’Azur rivals Nice.
