Three days after a 3-0 defeat to Bournemouth in the Europa League, Milan needed an answer, and Christian Pulisic supplied it inside six minutes. The Rossoneri won 2-0 at Udinese, stayed unbeaten in Serie A under Ruben Amorim, and eased the pressure that the midweek result had piled on.
A free-kick, a finish, a statement
The opening goal came from a moment of quick thinking. Luka Modric took a free-kick before the Udinese defence had organised itself and floated a delicate pass over the top. Pulisic controlled it out of the air and finished past Maduka Okoye. It was Modric's fourth assist of the season, and a small piece of history too: he is now the player with the most Serie A assists after turning 40 since the league went to 20 teams in 2004-05, moving ahead of Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Milan could have been out of sight early. About five minutes after the opener, Davide Bartesaghi was played in by Pulisic but shot over from close range, and Bartesaghi and Pulisic then failed to convert a Fikayo Tomori cross. Just before half-time James Abankwah made a last-ditch block to stop a Strahinja Pavlovic shot.
Hutchinson gets his first
The second goal came on 65 minutes. Ardon Jashari's shot was parried by Okoye into the path of Omari Hutchinson, who reacted quickest to score. It was his first goal since joining Milan on loan, and he was replaced shortly afterwards. Okoye, to his credit, kept Udinese in the game for a long stretch, stopping Pulisic at the near post around the hour and tipping a first-time Goncalo Ramos shot onto the crossbar after a deflection.
At the other end, Mike Maignan, who had been sent off against Bournemouth in midweek, kept a clean sheet and made a point-blank stop from Keinan Davis late on. The numbers showed how one-sided it was: Milan had 19 shots to Udinese's 12 and a far higher expected-goals total, with around 60 per cent of the ball.
The Amorim run continues
Eight league games without defeat is a record worth noting. It is only the third time in the last 20 top-flight seasons that Milan have gone this long unbeaten, after 2020-21 and 2021-22. They are now level on 18 points with Roma and four behind leaders Inter and Lazio. Owner Gerry Cardinale praised the team's resilience after the European disappointment and credited Amorim for how he handled rotations and substitutions in a congested week.
The schedule does not let up. Milan host Bologna on Wednesday, and then comes the first Milan derby of the season against Inter on Saturday. If they keep playing like this, that game will be a proper test of how far they have come since the Bournemouth night.
Match facts: Serie A, matchday 8, Bluenergy Stadium, Udine, Sunday 25 October 2026. Udinese 0-2 AC Milan. Goals: Christian Pulisic 6' (assist Luka Modric), Omari Hutchinson 65'. Half-time: 0-1. Milan are unbeaten in eight Serie A games under Ruben Amorim and sit on 18 points, four behind Inter and Lazio. Next: Milan v Bologna on Wednesday 28 October.
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