GOAL
Tom Hindle
May 02, 2026 02:54+06:00
Americans Abroad: Big games for Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie, and can Malik Tillman find form for Bayer Leverkusen?
FEATURES
AC Milan | Serie A | Juventus | Bayer Leverkusen | Bundesliga | C. Pulisic | W. McKennie
GOAL looks at the biggest storylines among Americans Abroad, including a big chance for Pulisic to find his footing.
It's what we want to see, right? Americans playing in big-time European games. For so long, that has been the barometer of success for USMNTers. They are playing in the biggest games in Europe, therefore they are now better footballers. Is that a true equivalency? Perhaps not. But there is no doubting that there are plenty of big games at this time of the season, and participating in them is no bad thing.
And what do we have when we peer across the continent? Well, the picture is a little bit mixed. The USMNT's big-time Serie A duo - Weston McKennie and Christian Pulisic - are fighting the same fight but for different teams. Both want to be in the Champions League next year. Neither has fully grasped the opportunity available to seal it.
This looks like an important weekend, then. Both teams face kind matchups against teams they really should beat. Both players will have to make their mark if three points are to be won. Watch this space.
GOAL runs down Pulisic's Milan, McKennie's Juventus, and the other big games for Americans Abroad this weekend...
Getty
Will Pulisic's drought come to an end?
It's been a rough year for Pulisic. To reiterate some troubling and oft-quoted stats: he has not scored since December 2025. He has just one assist in the last five months. Manager Max Allegri admitted it had been a rough time for the American: "He's a very sensitive guy; the fact that he doesn't score affects him more. He's a player who gets into tackles and struggles more; he suffers more from this. I have to try to give the team balance, playing without a true center forward, he struggles more," Allegri said earlier this week.
That's a fair assessment from the manager. Pulisic isn't necessarily playing badly, but he does look frustrated. The chances aren't coming all that often. And when they come, the American is wayward, anxious, a little too desperate to score. Pulisic needs a goal, and he's playing like it - much to his detriment.
There are tactical reasons here. Milan playing without a recognized striker does him no favors. Pulisic is a top-tier playmaker, and having a No.9 to work with would certainly give him more opportunities. Playing as a striker of sorts, alongside the mercurial Rafa Leao, is an adjustment. But no tactical change seems imminent. And so we are left with a player who badly needs a goal, trying and trying again to make something happen. There's a heroic element to this.
Milan have slowed down after a hot start. Champions League qualification is edging nearer, though. And even if they have won just two of their last five, Pulisic and co. could come a lot closer to wrapping up a European spot with a win over Sassuolo this week. Pulisic getting on the scoresheet would be a massive boost in that effort.
Getty
McKennie drives Juventus' European push
Weston McKennie deserves tons of credit. A lot of the praise for his game comes from his versatility. McKennie can play a bit of everywhere: up front, on the right, as a midfielder, on the left. He gets his head down, does what he's told, and offers a bit of extra quality wherever he is deployed.
But what he has really given Juventus this year is a sense of balance. Managers love footballers who work hard and follow instructions. That is McKennie in a nutshell. In the tactical rigidity of Serie A - and many of its teams - he works just fine.
It is, more broadly, a bit of a coincidence that the goals have come in spades this year. McKennie isn't doing loads differently. He still goes where he's told, makes the right pass, and tracks back. Instead, he's been a little more opportunistic. He is not a star player, but a remarkably effective cog in a functioning machine.
The issue? The rest of the system around him hasn't been so fluid. Juve are expected to win Serie A every year. And whether that expectation is fair or not, it is clear that they have fallen short by some distance in 2026. Instead, they are in a scrap for fourth place. A draw against Milan last week was agreeable, but now the wins need to come. They are three points ahead of a slumping Como in fourth with four games to play. Hellas Verona, all but relegated, are a kind opponent to pick up a win, though. McKennie will need to show up on Sunday.
Getty Images
Tillman to stop his slide?
Malik Tillman has endured a rough few months. He was put in a tricky place, in fairness. Bayer Leverkusen lost Florian Wirtz to Liverpool last summer - a move that had been coming for some time. Tillman was never going to be a replacement, per se, but he's a guy who plays at, more or less, the same position. Wirtz's numbers were never attainable, but the expectation was he could at least establish himself - and then kick on.
The reality has been one of struggle. Tillman has been a player of moments for Leverkusen in his first full campaign, showing flashes, appearing here and there, yet never quite finding the consistency that made him so valuable to PSV. These things can happen, of course, but it is now May, and Tillman has dropped out of the Leverkusen team. Sure, he still appears off the bench, but the American's year has not gone to plan whatsoever.
His last Bundesliga start was March 21, when he scored in a 3-3 draw with Heidenheim. Since then, he has played a combined 47 minutes of domestic football. It is not looking good. So what can we expect against Leipzig this weekend? For one, a few minutes would be nice. A solid performance might be even better. More simply, though, Tillman needs to contribute to a win.
ENJOYED THIS STORY? Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting
AFP
A crucial week for Tim Weah and Marseille
Marseille's season has rather slowed down. The French giants should be playing European football every year. And even if the Champions League was always going to be a tough ask on them this season, the expectation was that they could at least qualify for some sort of continental competition with strong performances in Ligue 1.
The reality has been rather different. Marseille's season has been marked by drama, fallout, and general malaise. The results, meanwhile, have been pretty miserable. They have won just one of their last five, and are clinging on to the final UEFA Conference League spot in Ligue 1 at sixth. Tim Weah has not exactly been at fault here - he is still brutally misused as a right-wing-back - but he could do with chipping in as Marseille look for three points against Nantes, 17th, this Saturday.