AC Milan defeats Lecce 3-0 at San Siro to move within two points of Serie A summit

Early lead through Pulisic

AC Milan secured a 3-0 victory against US Lecce at the Stadio San Siro in the fifth round of the Serie A season, watched by 73,197 spectators. Manager Rúben Amorim named a starting lineup featuring Luka Modrić, Adrien Rabiot, Alexis Saelemaekers, and Christian Pulisic. The hosts took the lead in the 14th minute when defender Strahinja Pavlović delivered a 40-meter pass into the path of Pulisic. The American winger controlled the ball and struck a left-footed shot past Lecce goalkeeper Wladimiro Falcone. The finish ended Pulisic's personal scoring drought dating back to 28 December 2025 and gave Milan its first first-half goal in five matches across all competitions. Milan continued to press throughout the opening period, creating additional opportunities through Samuel Chukwueze and Koni De Winter.

Rabiot doubles the advantage

Milan maintained control of the tempo in the second half, with Lecce struggling to threaten Mike Maignan's goal beyond an early effort from defender Kialonda Gaspar. Pavlović briefly appeared to extend the lead, but referee Federico La Penna disallowed the goal after confirming the defender stood in an offside position. Milan found a second goal in the 61st minute through an attacking sequence started by Pulisic. Pulisic combined with Rabiot, who slipped a pass forward to Gonçalo Ramos. Ramos played an unselfish no-look return pass into the penalty area, allowing Rabiot to slot the ball into the net past Falcone.

Moreira adds a third off the bench

In the 69th minute, Amorim made a double substitution, bringing on Diego Moreira for Saelemaekers and Ruben Loftus-Cheek for Pulisic, who exited to applause from the home supporters. Lecce manager Eusebio Di Francesco responded by making triple changes in the 70th minute, introducing Lamine Ngom, Balla Dramé, and Mohamed Fatah. Four minutes after entering the match, Moreira scored Milan's third goal in the 73rd minute. Ramos provided a knockdown pass, enabling Moreira to surge into the penalty box, evade a defender, and finish from close range. The strike was Moreira's third goal in two Serie A fixtures, following two goals scored against Lazio in the previous round. Milan brought on Yunus Musah, Davide Bartesaghi, and Francesco Camarda in the closing stages to close out the clean sheet.

Standings and team trajectory

The result halted a three-match winless run for Milan that included consecutive domestic draws and a midweek home defeat against Benfica in the Europa League. Milan remains unbeaten through five Serie A matches, achieving three victories and two draws, which is the club's first five-game unbeaten league start in four years. With 11 points, Milan sits in fifth position, one point ahead of Juventus and one point behind fourth-placed Cagliari on 12 points. Milan trails the joint league leaders Inter, Roma, and Lazio by two points after Inter and Roma drew in their meeting. Lecce sits in 12th place with six points after recording its third loss in five games, having conceded three goals while generating three corner kicks and picking up one yellow card against Danilo Veiga. Milan owner Gerry Cardinale observed the match from the stands after watching pre-game warmups from the sideline.