Pulisic's stunning Olympic goal secures Milan's first Champions League win in 3-1 thriller

Milan recorded its first win in this year's Champions League, and what a win it was. The Italian team took on Club Brugge in their iconic ground, San Siro, beating them 3-1 in a game full of plot twists. The highlight of the match was an Olympic goal by Christian Pulisic that set the mood for a game that held even more excitement in store.

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Pulisic and the Olympic Goal: The Turning Point

33 minutes into the first half, Milan was still adapting to Brugge's intense early pressure. Then, an audacious try from Christian Pulisic on a corner kick-to go for the improbable, a direct shot at goal. And voila! It arced perfectly, eluding the defense and catching keeper Mignolet out of position. Olympic goal, as the San Siro crowd erupted.

This sort of goal doesn't come around too often, and Pulisic was right on point with precision and game awareness. The goal itself did more than just open the scoring; it shifted the momentum of the game. Milan, which was clearly in a tussle trying to be resilient against Brugge's aggression, began to settle into their rhythm and take control.

Brugge Fights Back, but Milan Takes Charge

Club Brugge did not give up, even after the Olympic goal and the expulsion of Onyedika at minute 39 after a VAR review. Only five minutes into the second half, Sabbe equalized with Brugge playing one man short. The goal served to give the Belgian side hope for a few minutes as they continued to try and hold their own down a man.

Milan took quick advantage of their one-man advantage soon after. The two substitutions, Okafor and Chukwueze, proved to be the turning point as the energy was not there. Chukwueze was to prove an inspired substitution as he provided two assists to Tijjani Reijnders, who found the net in the 15th and 25th minutes of the second half to seal Milan's 3-1 win.

Francesco Camarda's Perfect Debut - Almost

Another positive note was the emergence of 16-year-old Francesco Camarda, who became the youngest player to ever wear the Milan jersey in the Champions League and simultaneously became the youngest Italian to play in the competition. Camarda did not stop there; he almost made history in a much bigger way with his goal, which was unfortunately called offside.

Despite the disallowed goal, Milan's coach, Fonseca, had nothing but praise for the young forward. "He worked hard to earn this opportunity, and without a doubt, he'll score many goals in the future. This is just the beginning," said Fonseca in a show of confidence in Camarda's potential.

Fonseca and the Substitutions: The Impact of Okafor and Chukwueze

For his part, Fonseca made clear in the post-match press conference that the substitutions won the match for Milan: "When the impression was that the players were slow, without pressing, they saw Okafor and Chukwueze were coming on. I must say they were very attentive. Leão's substitution was absolutely not a punishment, but we must say that if we wanted to change the match, there was a need for a change of pace.".

But perhaps the most intriguing thing Fonseca said was how far more valuable Pulisic proved to be when played more centrally rather than wide. Freedom of position changed for the American star, allowing him to be a figure of the game, not just because of his goal, but because of intelligent movement in the middle.