Samuel Chukwueze’s solitary goal led ten-man AC Milan to a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Udinese in Saturday’s Serie A clash. The win propelled Milan to third place in the league standings, highlighting Chukwueze’s pivotal role in the match.
Despite a tumultuous week in which Chukwueze was part of the Super Eagles squad stranded in Libya, he returned to Milan ready to make an impact.
The club showed confidence in the Nigerian winger by handing him a starting position against Udinese.
It took just 13 minutes for Chukwueze to deliver, as he found the back of the net with a well-placed shot into the bottom corner following a precise pass from Christian Pulisic.
His early goal set the tone for the match, but it was far from a straightforward encounter.
Udinese’s Maduka Okoye played a crucial role for his team, making several key saves to keep the scoreline within reach.
However, the dynamics of the game shifted dramatically in the 29th minute when Milan’s Teun Reijnders received a red card after a clash with Udinese’s Sandi Lovric.
This left Milan to navigate the remainder of the match with ten men, placing additional pressure on the team.
As the second half progressed, Udinese sought to capitalize on their numerical advantage.
In a dramatic moment deep into stoppage time, they appeared to have equalized through a goal by Christian Kabasele.
However, the celebration was short-lived, as the goal was disallowed after a lengthy VAR review confirmed that Kabasele was offside.
This crucial decision ensured that Milan retained their slender lead and secured the three points.
With this victory, AC Milan moved to third in the Serie A standings, now on 14 points.
They are currently level on points with second-placed Inter Milan, but remain two points adrift of league leaders Napoli.
Chukwueze’s performance, characterized by his decisive goal and tireless effort, underlines his importance to the squad as they aim to compete for the title this season.
As Milan prepares for their upcoming fixtures, the resilience demonstrated in this match, particularly in the face of adversity, will be a source of encouragement.
The team will be looking to build on this momentum as they navigate the challenges of Serie A in the weeks to come.
