Serie A Roundup: AC Milan’s Pulisic achieves personal best season in win over Lecce
MILAN — United States standout Christian Pulisic reached double figures in targets for the primary time in a league season after his elegant strike started AC Milan’s 3-0 win over 10-man Lecce in Serie A on Saturday.
Pulisic’s early aim and tenth within the Italian league surpassed his earlier better of 9 within the 2019-20 English Premier League for Chelsea. The winger additionally has three targets in Europe and has already bettered his total scoring report.
Olivier Giroud and Rafael Leão additionally scored in opposition to Lecce, which performed your entire second half with 10 males after ahead Nikola Krstović was despatched off.
Milan might even afford to ring the adjustments within the second half with Thursday’s Europa League quarterfinal in opposition to Roma in thoughts. Roma beat Lazio 1-0 within the capital derby later Saturday.
Second-placed Milan trimmed the hole to runaway Serie A pacesetter Inter Milan to 11 factors forward of the Nerazzurri’s match at Udinese on Monday.
Lecce remained 4 factors above the drop zone.
On a heat and sunny day at San Siro, Samuel Chukwueze did effectively to chop inside from the fitting and beat two defenders earlier than discovering Pulisic on the sting of the world. The American managed the ball and unleashed an unstoppable left-footed strike.
That was with lower than six minutes on the clock. Pulisic nearly doubled his tally instantly however Lecce goalkeeper Wladimiro Falcone parried the header from point-blank vary.
Milan acquired the second within the twentieth when Yacine Adli whipped in a nook from the left and Giroud headed it in on the close to submit.
Lecce nearly pulled one again however Joan González’s header got here off the crossbar and the guests’ probabilities diminished on the stroke of halftime when Krstović was proven a straight crimson card for a excessive sort out on Chukwueze.
Milan sealed the match within the 57th after Leão raced onto a Théo Hernandez through-ball and fired it into the underside proper nook.
Hernandez additionally hit the crossbar seven minutes later, after Milan coach Stefano Pioli took off Pulisic, Giroud and Matteo Gabbia in a triple substitution.
FIRST DERBY AS COACH
Former Roma captain Daniele De Rossi gained his first capital derby as a coach to finish his workforce’s dismal run within the Derby della Capitale.
Roma hadn’t gained or scored within the derby since a victory in March 2022. That was adopted by three losses and a draw, together with an Italian Cup defeat in January that successfully price coach Jose Mourinho his job.
Lazio had a good newer coach after Igor Tudor took over final month.
Gianluca Mancini scored the one aim shortly earlier than halftime when he headed in a Paulo Dybala nook.
Stephan El Shaarawy additionally hit the submit for Roma within the second half, and Daichi Kamada had what would have been an equalizer dominated out for offside.
Roma and England ahead Tammy Abraham was introduced on with 9 minutes remaining for his first look since tearing a cruciate ligament within the ultimate match of final season.
Fifth-placed Roma moved to inside two factors of Bologna and 9 above Lazio, in seventh.
