Against Lecce, Rafael Leao continued his strong run of form, scoring both of Milan’s goals in the 2-0 victory. While the Rossoneri attack created its fair share of chances, its defense impressed the most, with Malick Thiaw and Fikayo Tomori both making key defensive plays.
Mike Maignan – 7.5
Early in the match, Maignan’s performance kept his side from giving up the lead as Lecce pushed for a goal. While he did not make many saves, his dominance and aggression in the air proved vital.
Malick Thiaw – 8
With Pierre Kalulu moving to full-back, Thiaw shone alongside Tomori. He impressed coming off the backline to intercept the ball, and he effectively neutralized Assan Ceesay.
Fikayo Tomori – 7
While Tomori did not make quite as many plays as his fellow centre-back, the defender was still in top form. As Lecce pressed the hosts in the first half, his leadership proved essential to keeping the young defense organized.
Theo Hernandez – 7
Theo’s incessant drives forward created several chances for his side, though it did allow the visitors opportunity to counter on occasion.
Pierre Kalulu – 5
With credit to Lecce’s left-sided defense, Kalulu struggled to get anything going on the wing. The defender looked out of sorts in his former position, failing to complete even basic passes and finding himself out of place more than once.
Rade Krunic – 6.5
From his position in the double pivot, Krunic turned in a solid defensive showing. The Bosnian saw a lot of the ball, and he mostly played safe, non-progressive passes.
Sandro Tonali – 8
Tonali was central to Milan’s attack, distributing the ball well and keeping play moving at all times. In the first half, he sent in a great cross to Leao, finding the head of the winger to create the opening goal.
Brahim Diaz – 5
Despite playing the last two matches on the right wing, Brahim shifted back to his normal attacking midfield position against Lecce. The switch was not particularly effective for the Spaniard, and he made little impact on proceedings.
Junior Messias – 5
Messias passed the ball well, but the right wing was largely devoid of creativity, with Kalulu and the Brazilian forming a lackluster partnership.
Rafael Leao – 9
After a strong midweek performance against Napoli, Leao turned in another dazzling showing. The winger was electric in the left channel, and he scored the opening goal with a straightforward header. Later, he scored a cheeky game-clincher, using his step-overs to befuddle the Lecce defense.
Ante Rebic – 5
At striker, Rebic again failed to look even remotely creative or dangerous. His one attempt on goal was a woeful header that was never going to challenge Wladimiro Falcone.
Rising to the challenge ✈️#MilanLecce #SempreMilan pic.twitter.com/OIFNIs9fue
— AC Milan (@acmilan) April 23, 2023
Substitutes
Simon Kjaer – 6
Somewhat surprisingly, the Dane replaced Thiaw, but he solidified the backline and helped Milan see out the match.
Ismael Bennacer – 7
The Algerian gave Tonali a breather and continued his strong play from the pivot.
Alexis Saelemaekers – 5.5
In a like-for-like switch, Saelemaekers replaced Messias, but he did not add much to the match.