Stadio San Siro forms the backdrop for a high-stakes Serie A clash between soon-to-be-former champions Milan and bottom-half Lecce on Sunday. Both sides are in desperate need of points, albeit for different reasons.
Rafael Leao and Mike Maignan helped Milan hold Napoli to a dramatic 1-1 draw in the return leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie on Tuesday and progress into the semi-finals for the first time in 16 years as 2-1 aggregate winners. Victor Osimhen’s stoppage-time header canceled out Olivier Giroud’s first-half opener, but Stefano Pioli’s side left Naples proud and content.
However, as things stand in Serie A, Milan may have to go all the way in Europe’s elite competition to qualify for next season’s Champions League. After the CONI’s College of Guarantee suspended Juventus’ 15-point deduction on Thursday, the Rossoneri have dropped to fifth in the Serie A standings, three points adrift of fourth-placed Roma, highlighting the importance of winning this type of fixture.
After a brace of underwhelming draws against Bologna and Empoli, Milan cannot afford to drop more points against a relegation-threatened Lecce. Marco Baroni’s team spurned a 1-0 halftime lead in a stomach-wrenching 1-1 home draw against 19th-placed Sampdoria last weekend and are now at risk of being sucked down into a relegation scrap.
Only five points separate Lecce from the red zone at the start of this round, which is nothing to be surprised about, given the visitors’ disastrous spell of form. Before sharing the spoils with Sampdoria, the Giallorossi had lost six straight league matches, including five without scoring. Hence, they should consider themselves lucky for sitting above the drop zone.
Match Preview
Milan
The Rossoneri are on the way to earning a reputation as ‘stalemate specialists’ after sharing the spoils in three of their last five Serie A outings (W1, L1), as many draws as in their previous 21 top-flight matches. What’s even more concerning for Pioli is that his men have collected just six points in their six league games since the beginning of March. They seem to be running out of steam as the season enters the final stretch.
Milan fought back from a 2-0 halftime deficit to hold Lecce to a 2-2 draw in the reverse fixture in January. They’re now at risk of going winless in both seasonal H2Hs in Serie A for the first time since 1999/2000. But considering they’ve lost only two of their 33 Serie A encounters against Lecce (W19, D12), that scenario looks a bit far-fetched. Nonetheless, the reigning champions can’t take anything for granted.
Player to Watch: Rafael Leao
After another spectacular Champions League showing, Leao will be looking to inspire Milan to an all-important win in Serie A. The Portuguese ace launched a comeback in the reverse fixture with a brilliant finish.
Lecce
After winning back-to-back away league matches in February, Lecce have suffered defeats on their last three Serie A travels without finding the net. One of those losses came at the San Siro as Inter comfortably ousted them 2-0 in early March. That’s one of several ominous signs for the visitors.
Baroni’s men have kept a league-low three clean sheets in Serie A this season, with their most recent shutout dating back to a 2-0 win at rock-bottom Cremonese in early February. Lecce could lose four away games in the top flight for the first time since 2010. It looks like a near-certainty, given that they’ve suffered 12 defeats in their 16 Serie A meetings with Milan at the San Siro (W1, D3).
Player to Watch: Assan Ceesay
Ceesay’s game opener against Sampdoria last weekend marked his fifth goal in his maiden Serie A season. Lecce will hope the 29-year-old can score again, considering the last time he found the net on the road, the Giallorossi stunned Atalanta 2-1 in February.
Team News
In addition to long-term absentee Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Giroud could miss out on Lecce’s visit to the San Siro after picking up a minor fitness problem against Napoli. Milan captain Davide Calabria is ineligible to play after accumulating yellow cards.
On the other hand, Lecce will take this trip without injured defenders Marin Pongracic and Kastriot Dermaku. But the rest of Baroni’s squad is fit and ready to take on Milan at the San Siro for the first time since October 2020.
Milan vs Lecce Potential Lineups
Milan (4-2-3-1): Mike Maignan; Alessandro Florenzi, Pierre Kalulu, Fikayo Tomori, Theo Hernandez; Sandro Tonali, Tommaso Pobega; Alexis Saelemaekers, Brahim Diaz, Rafael Leao; Ante Rebic.
Lecce (4-3-3): Wladimiro Falcone; Valentin Gendrey, Federico Baschirotto, Samuel Umtiti, Antonino Gallo; Remi Oudin, Morten Hjulmand, Alexis Blin; Gabriel Strefezza, Assan Ceesay, Federico Di Francesco.
Milan vs Lecce Prediction
Despite facing scoring woes in Serie A, Milan should have enough fuel left in the tank to overcome an ailing Lecce side and reignite their top-four bid in these uncertain times.
Prediction: Milan Win
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