TIME MACHINE: LECCE v AC MILAN

Lecce v AC Milan is today, the 28th match of the Serie A 2024/25 season for the Rossoneri. An always difficult trip away, which in the 2019/20 season, took place on the previous matchday but some months apart. It was a unique period but in a strange season. It is matchday 27, but the long delay to the season caused by the pandemic meant that the match was played on 22 June, behind closed doors without public attendance. It ended 4-1 to the Rossoneri (Castillejo, Bonaventura, Rebić and Leão were the scorers), let's take a look back at the match from 2020 ahead of the next Lecce v AC Milan clash. 

It's the 2019/20 season. After a difficult start, which led to the dismissal of Marco Giampaolo, the Rossoneri bench was led by Stefano Pioli, who made his first coaching appearance in the first match against the Salentini at San Siro, which ended 2-2. There was a lot of suspense leading up to Serie A matchday 27, which marked the return to action after a long period without football. The Rossoneri officially restarted their season on 12 June with a 0-0 draw at home to Juventus, in the second leg of the Coppa Italia semi-final, which led to elimination following the 1-1 draw in the first leg. Before the forced stoppage, Genoa had secured a 2-1 win away to the Rossoneri in an empty and silent stadium, the same silence that accompanied the team as the countdown to kick-off of Lecce v AC Milan continued. We lined up with a 4-2-3-1: with the starting team consisting of Conti, Kjær, Romagnoli and Theo Hernández ahead of Donnarumma; Kessie and Bennacer in midfield; Castillejo, Çalhanoğlu and Bonaventura behind Rebić.

The Rossoneri started strong. Gabriel did well to react to Bonaventura's effort in the 14th minute, before denying Castillejo (17') and Hernández (25'). AC Milan continued pushing and broke through in the 26th minute:  a good cross from Çalhanoğlu was met by Castillejo who slotted it into the back of the net to make it 1-0. The home side seemed to have equalised in the 36th minute but it is ruled for offside. In the 53rd minute, contact from Gabbia on Babacar in the box meant that a penalty was awarded to Lecce. Mancosu stepped up and coolly converted past Donnarumma. The Rossoneri's reaction was immediate: Bonaventura managed to restore the lead in the 55th minute while in the 57th minute, Rebić started and finished a counter-attack to make it 3-1. Leão scored the fourth in the 72nd minute heading in from a Conti assist. It ended 4-1! This important win started a strong finish to the season, with eight wins and three draws in the final eleven matches. 

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