Pulisic and Hutchinson Fire Milan Past Udinese as Friulani Slump to Sixth Straight Defeat

Pulisic and Hutchinson Fire Milan Past Udinese as Friulani Slump to Sixth Straight Defeat

FolioPitch.com – 26 October 2026 | AC Milan claimed a comfortable 2-0 victory over Udinese at the Bluenergy Stadium on Sunday evening, with Christian Pulisic and Omari Hutchinson finding the net in a Serie A Udinese 0-2 Milan Pulisic and Hutchinson celebrate in Udine encounter that deepened the hosts’ relegation worries. The result lifts the Rossoneri after a difficult week, while Udinese remain rooted in crisis after a sixth consecutive league defeat.

Both sides entered the match in troubled mood. Milan were still recovering from a chastening 3-0 Europa League loss at Bournemouth on Thursday, a game in which goalkeeper Mike Maignan was sent off. Coach Stefano Pioli’s absentee list grew further with fresh injuries to Adrien Rabiot, Diego Moreira and Mario Gila, who joined Samuel Chukwueze, Matteo Gabbia, Alexis Saelemaekers and Pietro Terracciano on the sidelines. Udinese, meanwhile, had lost five Serie A matches in a row, most recently a humiliating 3-0 home reverse against relegation candidates Lecce, and were without Oumar Solet, David Alaba, Idrissa Gueye, Vakoun Bayo and Alessandro Zanoli, though Nicolò Zaniolo returned to the bench after five weeks out.

Milan took the lead almost immediately through a moment of trademark ingenuity from Luka Modric. The Croatian playmaker spotted Christian Pulisic’s run and took a free kick quickly over the top of the Udinese defence. Mergim Vojvoda’s positioning kept Pulisic onside, and the American hooked the ball down before beating goalkeeper Maduka Okoye one-on-one to make it 1-0 after just six minutes.

Udinese responded with intent. Ardon Jashari gifted possession cheaply to Hassane Kamara, whose snapshot from distance was palmed around the near post by Maignan. Davide Bartesaghi then blasted wide after running onto a through ball, while Fikayo Tomori could not convert a Pulisic pull-back. Maignan spilled a ferocious Vojvoda strike from range, and Matteo Palma appeared to strike Goncalo Ramos in the face while shrugging him off, but VAR declined to intervene.

Milan had a golden chance to double their lead on 40 minutes when Tomori rolled the ball across the six-yard box, but both Pulisic and Bartesaghi went for the same ball and somehow failed to tap in. Jesper Karlstrom and Christian Kabasele had attempts from distance for the hosts, while Bartesaghi’s first touch on a Pulisic pass let him down, allowing James Abankwah to make a decisive block. Bartesaghi then won the ball back with a sliding tackle and set up Pulisic, whose effort forced Okoye into a save at the near post.

Zaniolo made his comeback from the bench, but Milan doubled their advantage on 65 minutes. Omari Hutchinson laid the ball off for Jashari’s daisy-cutter from the edge of the D, and Okoye parried meekly into the path of the on-loan English winger, who smashed home his first goal in the Rossoneri jersey. It was a moment to savour for Hutchinson, and it effectively settled the contest.

Keinan Davis blasted a finish across the face of goal from the by-line when a cross seemed the better option, while Okoye kept the scoreline down by palming a Ramos effort onto the crossbar after a Pulisic attempt was deflected into his path. Maignan had to make a tricky save from Davis’s volley on a set play, but Arizala and Okoye struggled to prevent Ruben Loftus-Cheek turning in a Bartesaghi cross at the back post. Alphadjo Cisse came off the bench and within 60 seconds cut inside to bend a right-foot finish just wide. Palma made a decisive sliding tackle on Loftus-Cheek, though the English midfielder sustained an injury in the process.

The statistics underlined Milan’s control: they enjoyed 60 percent possession, registered 19 shots to Udinese’s 12, and put seven on target compared to five. The Serie A Udinese 0-2 Milan Pulisic and Hutchinson celebrate in Udine scoreline flattered the hosts if anything, with Okoye’s saves keeping the margin respectable.

For Milan, the win provides breathing space after a turbulent week and offers encouragement that their squad depth can cope with a mounting injury list. Pulisic’s sharpness and Hutchinson’s maiden goal were the highlights, while Modric’s quick thinking for the opener demonstrated his enduring value. For Udinese, the picture is bleaker. A sixth straight defeat leaves them staring at a relegation battle, and the manner of the goals conceded will concern the coaching staff. The Serie A Udinese 0-2 Milan Pulisic and Hutchinson celebrate in Udine result may prove a turning point for the visitors, but for the Friulani it is another damaging chapter in a season rapidly spiralling out of control.

Milan will hope to build on this performance as they seek to climb the table and recover from their European setback, while Udinese must regroup quickly before their next fixture. The Serie A Udinese 0-2 Milan Pulisic and Hutchinson celebrate in Udine match will be remembered for Pulisic’s clinical finish and Hutchinson’s landmark moment, but also as a stark reminder of the challenges facing the home side.

Ahonui Stanford Damar somehow turned a literature degree into a career writing news—maybe because fiction and breaking news both require a healthy dose of imagination. Based in Tangerang since 2011, he balances his journalistic cyn

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