AC Milan Dominates Lecce: Champions League Aspirations Intensify

AC Milan strolled past 10-man Lecce 3-0 on Saturday, solidifying their second place in Serie A and taking another step toward Champions League qualification.

The match saw early goals from Christian Pulisic and Olivier Giroud, with Rafael Leao adding a neat finish shortly before the hour mark.

These goals secured Milan’s victory, moving them 11 points behind runaway leaders Inter Milan. Inter Milan is set to play against struggling Udinese on Monday.

With the Serie A title almost decided, Stefano Pioli’s in-form side is now close to securing Champions League football.

Their current lead over third-placed Juventus has extended to nine points following their seventh consecutive victory across all competitions.

Juventus, who have struggled in recent league fixtures, will face Fiorentina on Sunday. If Bologna wins against Frosinone, Juventus could find themselves in fourth place before kick-off.

Milan’s straightforward win at the San Siro also serves as perfect preparation for their Italian derby in the Europa League quarter-finals against Roma.

Meanwhile, Roma, led by Daniele De Rossi, aims to win their first local derby in over two years and maintain fifth spot in Italy’s top flight.

Serie A is currently leading the race for an extra spot in next year’s Champions League, which means a top-five finish would be enough for Roma to qualify for Europe’s top-tier club competition for the first time since 2018.

Despite Lecce staying in 13th place, they were unhappy about two decisions that contributed to their heavy defeat.

Nikola Krstovic was shown a straight red card just before half-time for inadvertently making contact with Samuel Chukwueze with his studs. Pulisic’s deflected strike and Giroud’s header had already put Milan ahead by that point.

Leao’s goal in the 57th minute sealed the victory, while Lecce winger Pontus Almqvist was involved in a collision with Theo Hernandez.