AC Milan head to Lecce on Friday evening determined to bounce back after a nightmare start to their Serie A campaign. The Rossoneri fell to a shock home defeat against newly promoted Cremonese on opening day, while Lecce managed to grind out a goalless draw away to Genoa.
Despite the result, Milan created plenty of chances in their first outing. Only Juventus registered more shots than Milan’s 24 across the opening round of fixtures, but Max Allegri’s men were left stunned at San Siro. Cremonese struck twice from just three attempts on target, with Federico Bonazzoli’s spectacular goal sealing the upset. Milan’s response came through a Strahinja Pavlovic header, but it wasn’t enough to salvage a point.
This stumble will have brought back memories of last season, when Milan also failed to win either of their first two league matches before enduring a turbulent year that saw them finish eighth. Allegri, now back in charge for a second spell, was hired to restore stability after a chaotic campaign. His return has coincided with an active transfer window and a Coppa Italia win over Bari earlier this month, but the focus is firmly on securing a top-four finish in Serie A.
History is on their side going into this clash. Milan have won their last three meetings with Lecce and are unbeaten in 14 straight encounters. At Via del Mare, they will expect nothing less than three points.
The Salentini, meanwhile, have their own rebuild underway under another familiar face, Eusebio Di Francesco. Back for a second stint in charge, the former Roma boss guided Lecce to a 2-1 Coppa Italia victory over Juve Stabia earlier this month before opening the league campaign with a solid point against Genoa.
One concern, however, is the departure of Nikola Krstovic, who was crucial in keeping Lecce afloat last season. The Montenegrin striker joined Atalanta this summer, leaving a big gap in attack. That responsibility now falls to teenage forward Francesco Camarda, on loan from Milan, who led the line in their stalemate last weekend.
The task ahead is daunting. Lecce have managed just one home league win against Milan in their history, losing eight of the other 19 clashes. Their only success came nearly 20 years ago, underlining the scale of the challenge they face on Friday.
INJURIES & SUSPENSIONS
With Rafael Leao sidelined by a calf injury picked up shortly after scoring against Bari, Max Allegri is expected to turn to a front line of Santiago Gimenez and Christian Pulisic. Pulisic has a strong record against Lecce, having scored four league goals against them, including a brace on his last trip to Via del Mare, and Milan will be counting on him again given their current shortage of strikers.
That lack of depth is partly due to a turbulent summer in the transfer market. Milan failed in their bid to land Victor Boniface and are still waiting to finalize a deal for Conrad Harder. At the same time, they’ve seen Alvaro Morata, Luka Jovic, Noah Okafor and loan signing Tammy Abraham depart, while Samuel Chukwueze could also be on his way out.
Ironically, another forward on Milan’s books, 17-year-old Francesco Camarda, will be leading the line for Lecce this weekend. Eusebio Di Francesco’s side also have Santiago Pierotti back from suspension, giving them an extra boost in attack.
Aside from long-term absentees Gaby Jean and Filip Marchwinski, Lecce have a full squad available, though their late move for Charleroi striker Nikola Stulic came too late for him to feature.
POSSIBLE LINE UPS
Lecce possible starting lineup:
Falcone; Veiga, Gabriel, Gaspar, Gallo; Coulibaly, Pierret, Berisha; Pierotti, Camarda, Morente
AC Milan possible starting lineup:
Maignan; Tomori, De Winter, Pavlovic; Saelemaekers, Loftus-Cheek, Modric, Fofana, Estupinan; Pulisic, Gimenez
EXPERT PREDICTION
Lecce 0-2 AC Milan
