ROSSONERI HELD BY LECCE
Serie A
AC Milan slipped up at Lecce on matchday 12 in Serie A, drawing 2-2 with the Giallorossi. The Rossoneri took a two-goal lead going into the break - through Olivier Giroud's 40th goal for the Club on his 100th appearance and Tijjani Reijnders - but were pegged back in the second half by goals from Sansone and Banda. At the Via del Mare, after a goalless opening, AC Milan took control of the match and showed their superiority with tempo and creating chances, seen with goals from our number 9 and 14', the latter opening his account for the Rossoneri, but missed several opportunities to kill the game off, allowing the home side to remain in the contest and gain confidence in the second half.
Substitutes played a vital part in swinging the tide of the game in Lecce's favour, who got back on level terms quickly around the hour mark. From the midweek Champions League fixture, Coach Pioli opted for Chukwueze - returning from injury -, Krunić and Pobega from the start, while Leão was forced off due to injury early on. Regret remains for an excellent opening hour, which should have been enough for a deserved three points at the end, and for not seeing out the game, while in stoppage-time, which saw Giroud sent off, the Rossoneri risked going home with nothing from their trip to Salento. Now, there's the international break, before some big games at San Siro on returning, with Fiorentina in Serie A and Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League.
CHECK OUT THE GALLERY FROM LECCE v AC MILAN
THE MATCH
AC Milan started off on the front foot, with Lecce happy to sit back deep and soak up pressure. After 14', Okafor, who had replaced Leão, laid the ball off for Pobega to have the game's first real chance, but Falcone saved the number 32's left-footed effort. The home side eventually pushed forward and on 23 minutes Maignan comfortably saved from Banda's long-range attempt. The Rossoneri stepped on the accelerator pedal and broke the deadlock in the 28th minute: Theo linked up well with Okafor and the Frenchman's cross into the box found Giroud, who sent it goalbound with his stomach to make it 1-0. AC Milan kept up the pressure and Reijnders doubled the lead after 36 minutes, beating Falcone with a powerful right-footed drive following a run forward through the middle of the park. Three minutes later and the Dutch player came ever so close to getting his second, hitting the post following Giroud's flick on, while on the break Maignan made an outstanding save from Banda's clean strike. 0-2 going into the break.
The game was stretched after the break. In the 58th and 64th minute, Falcone was again alert to stop efforts from Pobega and Okafor, and keep the score down to just 2-0. And those saves proved vital as Lecce found a way back into the game in the 66th minute: a corner from the right was flicked on by Blin and arriving at the backpost was Sansone to steer it home high into the net with his left. AC Milan became disjointed and the home side soon grabbed the equaliser on 69 minutes through Banda's right-footed curler into the far post, following a counter-attack. The Rossoneri regrouped and went back on the attack. On 72', Hernández tried his luck with a sweetly-struck hit from the edge of the area that flew just wide, while in the 85th minute Sansone hit the full face of the post. The closing stages of the game were dramatic, as Giroud saw red and Piccoli's wonder strike from distance ruled out for a foul on Thiaw. It ended 2-2.
MATCH DETAILS
LECCE 2-2 AC MILAN
LECCE (4-3-3): Falcone; Gendrey, Pongračić, Baschirotto, Dorgu; Kaba (63' Blin), Ramadani, Rafia (57' González); Strefezza (63' Sansone), Krstović (63' Piccoli), Banda. Subs: Brancolini, Samooja; Dermaku, Gallo, Smajlović, Touba, Venuti; Berisha, Listkowski, Oudin; Burnete. Coach: D'Aversa.
AC MILAN (4-3-3): Maignan; Calabria (46' Musah), Thiaw, Tomori, Hernández; Reijnders, Krunić, Pobega (71' Florenzi); Chukwueze (79' Jović), Giroud, Leão (10' Okafor). Subs: Mirante, Nava; Bartesaghi; Adli, Loftus-Cheek, Romero. Coach: Pioli.
Referee: Abisso from Palermo.
Goals: 28' Giroud (M), 35' Reijnders (M), 66' Sansone (L), 69' Banda (L).
Booked: 44' Hernández (M), 45' Ramadani (L), 62' Strefezza (L), 80' Musah (M), 85' Piccoli (L), 90' Florenzi (M), 92' González (L).
Sent off: 93' Giroud (M).
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