AC Milan battled to a 2-1 win over struggling Como on Saturday afternoon, keeping their slim hopes of Champions League qualification alive.

Sérgio Conceição’s side have regressed this year but a bleak season has been illuminated by the continuing good form of Christian Pulisic. The USMNT star levelled things for Milan on Saturday with a brilliantly taken shot from a tight angle, setting them on the way to victory.

Pulisic also scored twice in last weekend’s 3-2 win over Lecce and his Serie A goals tally now stands at 15 for the season. He is the first player since Zlatan Ibrahimovic in 2010/11 and 2011/12 to hit 15 plus goals in his first two seasons with the club.

Most impressively, with 15 leagues goals to his name this is Pulisic’s best scoring campaign and he still has another two months to improve on his current tally. Nevertheless, Pulisic admitted to some frustrations in the postmatch press conference as he sought to explain Milan’s slow starts to recent games.

“I can’t give you a reason, we want to start the game stronger and I don’t know why this season we’re always in trouble in the first half. The important thing is to do better in the second,” he insisted.

“We have to be more positive, because we have won two games in a row. We have the chance to get where we want, but we think game by game.”

Pulisic signs off for the March international break in good form and will be the centrepiece of Mauricio Pochettino’s USMNT squad for the upcoming Concacaf Nations League fixtures. The 26-year-old has reignited his career in Italy and the US team look well placed to benefit from his talent when they take on Panama at SoFi Stadium in California on Thursday, March 20.