Yahoo Sports AC Milan 3-0 Lecce: Three goals in quick succession take Rossoneri temporarily top
AC Milan moved top of the Serie A table for the time being as they brushed aside Lecce 3-0 at San Siro thanks to three goals in five first-half minutes.
It was a rather cagey and difficult opening to the game for Milan as Luca Gotti’s side sat compact and if anything looked dangerous on the counter, but Alvaro Morata’s header from a free-kick got the ball rolling and sparked a collapse.
Theo Hernandez hammered in a shot from close range at the near post after a Rafael Leao feed, and Christian Pulisic pounced on a rebound inside the box to net a third goal to make it job done at half-time.
Chances were missed to do further damage while Davide Bartesaghi got a harsh late red card for a tackle deemed out of control, but it was a job well done in front of over 70,000 home fans and it puts the Rossoneri top while waiting for the other games.
Paulo Fonseca chose to name an unchanged starting line-up from the team that took to the field from minute one against Inter, which meant that Alvaro Morata overcame doubts about his condition and passed a late fitness test to get the nod when a spot on the bench had seemed more likely.
It was a lively opening to the game with both sides looking to get the ball down and play through the thirds quickly. Patrick Dorgu – who is believed to be held in high regard by Geoffrey Moncada and the Milan management – fired the first shot high and wide from 20 yards out on his left foot.
The away side continued to find some joy down Milan’s left side in what was quite a sloppy opening to the game, and Mike Maignan had to be alert to tip a low shot wide from Krstovic that had taken a slight deflection.
Milan began to establish dominance in possession but the chances did not not exactly flow straight after. The closest they came in the opening quarter of the game was a header from Tammy Abraham that was cleared off the line from a recycled corner, though the whistle had blown for a foul on Falcone anyway.
Not long after that chance there was a heart in mouth moment when Fikayo Tomori dropped to the floor and required treatment after falling awkwardly following a challenge, though thankfully he was ok to continue.
The Rossoneri provided a reminder of the quality they possess in transition when a clearance from a Lecce attack led to Morata feeding Rafael Leao who ran down the middle and slid the ball to Abraham yet the Englishman’s cross was calmly chested into the hands of Falcone to avoid a simple tap-in at the back post.
After a free-kick won the derby on Sunday night, it took another set piece from a wide area to open the scoring in the 38th minute. Leao drew it with a run that was halted just outside the box, and Theo’s teasing delivery towards the near post was glanced in by Morata off the crossbar from just a few yards out.
More Stories / The Match
AC Milan 3-0 Lecce: Three goals in quick succession take Rossoneri temporarily top
Watch: Milan score three in five minutes vs. Lecce – Morata, Theo and Pulisic net
AC Milan 3-0 Lecce: Follow the game with SempreMilan’s live commentary
Just two minutes later, the lead was doubled and it was Theo who was involved again, this time turning from provider to scorer. A simply exquisite through ball from Leao was bent perfectly around the defence and stopped nicely for the French full-back to hammer a shot into the roof of the net and make it 2-0.
Lecce’s five-minute capitulation was complete when they conceded a third and it came in quite comical circumstances. Milan won the ball back deep in their half and Abraham fired a shot off the post but the ball stayed in play, he had a shot saved and eventually Pulisic was on hand to bury the rebound from close range.
It could have been four just before the break and again it was a run from Theo off the shoulder off the last defender that caused issues, though this time he lashed his shot into the side netting from a similar position to his goal.
Morata had been a doubt to start the game due to bursitis and 10 minutes into the second half his race was run as he made way for Ruben Loftus-Cheek.
Milan continued to look like the side who were going to score the next game despite the commanding lead, and both Tijjani Reijnders and Leao should have done much better with shots before the hour mark but both leant back and skied their efforts over.
It really should have been 4-0 right before the 60-minute mark when another run to the byline and a cut-back ended up being half-cleared to Loftus-Cheek, who somehow scuffed his effort from the penalty spot straight into Leao’s path and even he couldn’t fire it goalwards from even closer range.
In the 63rd minute there was a double substitution for Milan as Fofana and Pulisic came off – presumably with an eye on the Champions League game against Bayer Leverkusen next Tuesday – with Yunus Musah and Samuel Chukwueze coming on.
Milan were inches away from further padding their lead and it would have been in bizarre circumstances given that Loftus-Cheek seemed to mishit an attempt to stand up a cross to the far post and it grazed off the crossbar.
Banda hit the post at the other end with Maignan beaten by a low shot as Lecce went out to try and restore some pride, though the flag did go up for what appeared to be an offside in the build-up.
With 15 minutes left there were another two changes for Milan: Theo Hernandez and Abraham went off, Davide Bartesaghi and Luka Jovic came on.
Bartesaghi had a nightmare start though as he was sent off after just four minutes for a tackle on Banda where he seemed to catch him with the follow-through but it was far from reckless nor were his studs planted. However, VAR did not intervene to get the referee to have another look.
There was time for a final flourish from Leao as he produced a brilliant skill move to burst between two defenders before dribbling 50 yards and unleashing a shot that Falcone saved well.
