Nigeria forward Samuel Chukwueze demonstrated his growing influence within the AC Milan squad, leading his side to a 1-0 victory over Real Madrid in a preseason friendly at Soldier Field on Wednesday.
Unmarked as he charged down the right flank, Chukwueze expertly guided Mattia Liberali’s pass past Andriy Lunin with a precise left-footed finish from 8 yards out in the 55th minute, securing a confidence-boosting victory for the Italian giants over the European champions.
Before his goal, Chukwueze had also been on the end of the Rossoneri's best chance of the first half in the eighth minute.
The 25-year-old appears to have regained the form that made him a standout at Villarreal, a performance level that led to his €20 million transfer to Milan last year, with an additional €8 million in potential add-ons.
Samuel Chukwueze reborn under Fonseca: A new era begins
His performance against Real Madrid followed another impressive outing against English champions Manchester City, where his two assists helped secure a 3-2 victory for Milan at Yankee Stadium in New York City last Saturday.
The Nigeria international appears to have undergone a remarkable transformation under Milan's new manager, Paulo Fonseca.
After a challenging debut season with Milan, where he managed only one goal in 24 appearances and played in the shadow of Christian Pulisic, Samuel Chukwueze is now rediscovering his best form.
The forward struggled during Stefano Pioli's tenure, arriving late to pre-season and facing difficulties in adapting.
“A year ago I didn’t start the pre-season, I arrived late; now I’ve been here from the beginning,” Chukwueze explained, as per La Gazzetta dello Sport, following Milan's victory over Manchester City. I feel good, I like the new coach, he immediately gave me an opportunity.
“It's important when someone trusts you. The fans will see a new Samu this year.”
