AC Milan‘s manager, Stefano Pioli, explained his tactical decision to sacrifice USMNT star Christian Pulisic after Malick Thiaw's red card against Juventus in Serie A, reported by GOAL. With the Rossoneri reduced to 10 men just before half-time due to Thiaw's dismissal, Pioli had to make crucial choices to adapt to the situation.
Instead of reshuffling the remaining attacking players, Pioli opted to reinforce the defense by substituting Pulisic and bringing on Pierre Kalulu. Despite Pulisic's disappointment at being taken off, Pioli defended his decision, emphasizing the need to maintain a strong defensive structure against Juventus.
Pioli explained his strategy, stating, “I removed an attacker to maintain the same defensive structure that we had prepared during the week. I decided to make [Rafael] Leao and [Olivier] Giroud work against the three Juve defenders and maintain the defensive set-up we had, as there were some good reference points against them.”
While AC Milan aimed to remain dangerous in attack, focusing on the contributions of midfielders like Yunus Musah and Tijjani Reijnders, the team lacked intensity, especially in midfield, during the second half. Despite the defeat, Pioli highlighted the team's ability to limit Juventus' chances and believed that with more intensity, Milan could have achieved a positive result, even with 10 men.
Juventus secured the victory with Manuel Locatelli's goal just past the hour mark, while Weston McKennie and Tim Weah celebrated the win against their USMNT teammates Christian Pulisic and Yunus Musah. Milan's defensive adjustments, though not resulting in a win, showcased Pioli's strategic acumen in challenging circumstances.