Milan-Lecce 2-0, brace from Leao

Two flashes to drive away the ghosts and win again. Leao disguises himself again as man of the match, scores two goals and knocks Lecce out at the San Siro, offering Pioli a couple of gifts: the first is victory number one hundred since he has coached Milan, the second is the counter-overtaking of Inter, victorious in Empoli. Derby call and response. Also because today’s San Siro is a prequel to what we will see in the Champions League semifinal: more than 72,000 spectators.

Penalty removed

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Milan in the first half smacked of “I would like to but I can’t”, weakened by the Lecce wall raised by Baroni and watched over by Baschirotto and Umtiti, who harnessed Rebic from start to finish. The Croatian is lost, never incisive, he only plays on the side. A distant relative of the Ante solver seen two years ago. The Rossoneri try to sting differently. Tonali tries with a right from outside in the 10th minute, then Chiffi holds San Siro with bated breath. In the 13th minute – after a nice combination on the left between Theo and Leao – he awards Milan a penalty for a foul by Baschirotto on the Frenchman, who took to the field with shocking pink hair, like his boots. The central player from Lecce mimics several times that he has hit the ball, and he does so with the calm of someone who knows he is right. Theo replies, points to the spot, but Chiffi reviews everything at the Var. And Baschirotto “wins”: no penalty.

Enough Leao

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Lecce makes up for it and almost freezes Maignan in the 19th minute. Cross by Gendrey from the right trocar, smooth by Krunic and full post by Banda from six meters. The winger mocked Kalulu a couple of times, dashed and dribbled with ease and also contained Messias in cover, but lacked the decisive thrust. And in the end Leao took advantage of it: in the 40th minute, a corner from the left developed, Tonali crossed and the Portuguese headed in Falcone. This is the second goal for the Rossoneri signed in this way. The first? Right at Lecce, in June 2020. The beauty is that it comes after about forty minutes played with indolence, between busted game changes and unsuccessful plays. But in the end he scores. Leao is also this.

Rafael again

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The shooting script looks the same. Milan tries to close it, phrases tightly, takes advantage of the oversights of a Lecce eager to keep Hellas away and get out of the risk zone, but doesn’t close the action. First with Theo, then with Brahim and Leao. Everyone gets the first play, no one the second, the most important. Matter of time. Pioli throws in Kjaer, Bennacer and Saelemaekers in the sixtieth. Outside Thiaw, Tonali and Messias, with whom the Rossoneri coach had talked at length in the pre-match. Shady race for the Brazilian, though. Lecce, on the other hand, is a two-faced medal. When it comes to battle, it holds its own as best it can, but it struggles during the construction phase. Maignan’s only save came in the 70th minute following a nice right-footed shot by Strefezza from twenty meters away, while three minutes later Leao came back on, touching the Euro goal with the lob. The brace was postponed: in the 75th minute he started on the counterattack, went about thirty meters with the ball and then choked his left foot just enough to prick Falcone again, giving himself the 12th goal in Serie A. Never so many in his career. Pioli grants him the standing ovations 10′ from the end. Milan returns to winning ways after two draws in a row and momentarily catches Roma in fourth place with 56 points, while for Lecce it is a black crisis: seven defeats and one draw in the last eight. Verona is at -2. Banda’s pole only 0-0 will remain a regret.