Pulisic stars as AC Milan beat Lecce 3-0 to ease pressure

AC Milan rolled past Lecce 3-0 at San Siro and turned a week of noise into calm. The build-up had been dominated by questions around head coach Ruben Amorim and the role of Luka Modric, but Christian Pulisic made the loudest statement on his first start: a goal, a stunning backheel assist and a standing ovation when he left the pitch.

• Pulisic opened the scoring in the 13th minute with a superb right-footed touch and a left-footed finish.
• The American set up Rabiot with a backheel for the second goal in the 61st minute.
• Moreira scored the third in his first involvement after replacing Pulisic, who received a huge ovation.
• Maignan made two fine saves late on to deny Lecce a consolation goal.
• AC Milan now have 11 points and sit two points off the Serie A summit.

Pulisic marks his first start with an early opener

The rossoneri came flying out of the blocks, attacking the Lecce goal repeatedly and looking far more fluid through the middle thanks to the understanding between Modric and Pulisic. On the wing, Chukwueze added directness. The breakthrough arrived in the 13th minute: Pavlovic played a long ball behind the Lecce back line, Pulisic brought it down with an exquisite right-footed touch and finished with his left.

Pulisic showed that in this Milan side the normal thing is for him to play, no matter the system.

Milan dominate without a cutting edge until Rabiot strikes

After the goal, Milan began to enjoy themselves and moved the ball with confidence, but they lacked the clinical touch to put the game away before half-time. Lecce, without much ambition, occasionally approached Maignan's goal without truly threatening. The home side's superiority was clear on the pitch, yet it took until the second half for the scoreboard to reflect it.

Pulisic backheel and Rabiot finish double the lead

The moment that lit up San Siro came in the 61st minute. Pulisic flicked the ball with his heel into Rabiot, who exchanged a one-two with Ramos and then finished at the near post from inside the box. The goal gave the scoreboard a look that matched Milan's dominance. Amorim made changes shortly after and withdrew Pulisic, who was roared off by the home crowd.

Moreira seals the win with his first touch

The Portuguese forward came on for Pulisic and needed only seconds to make his mark. In practically his first attacking involvement, he drove down the left, cut inside the box and finished with a bit of fortune to make it 3-0 in the 73rd minute. Lecce pushed for a consolation late on, but Maignan stood firm with two excellent stops to preserve the clean sheet.

What the win means for AC Milan in the Serie A table

The three points take Milan to 11 in the standings, just two behind the leaders. After a week in which doubts centered on Amorim's position and Modric being benched in the Europa League, the victory gives breathing room to a project aiming to establish itself near the top of the table. Pulisic's display also sends a clear message: the American is pushing hard to be a guaranteed starter.