Milan 3-0 Lecce: Rabiot and Pulisic drive dominant San Siro win

Milan beat Lecce 3-0 at San Siro on Saturday, a scoreline that faithfully reflected a match the hosts dominated from the first whistle. Christian Pulisic opened the scoring in the 14th minute, Adrien Rabiot doubled the lead early in the second half, and substitute Diego Moreira added a late third as Milan posted an expected-goals tally of 1.93 to Lecce's 0.17.

The home side lined up in a 3-4-2-1 that morphed into a fluid attacking structure, with Strahinja Pavlović pushing forward from the back three to support midfield and create overloads on the left. Lecce arrived in a 4-3-3 that quickly settled into a compact low block, but the visitors struggled to sustain any pressure once they won the ball back. Milan enjoyed 69% possession overall — 75% in the first half — and completed 638 passes at 91% accuracy, compared to Lecce's 253 at 82%.

Milan's territorial supremacy translated into chances. They registered five shots to Lecce's three in the opening 45 minutes, with two on target and an open-play xG of 0.58 against 0.01. The breakthrough came in the 14th minute when Pavlović drove forward from deep and slipped a pass inside to Pulisic, who took a touch and finished with his left foot for 1-0. The goal carried an xG of 0.46, the highest of the match, and set the tone for a half in which Milan created two big chances but could not extend the lead.

Lecce's defensive shape held firm for long spells, yet their inability to progress the ball meant Milan rarely had to defend transitions. The visitors managed just 40 passes in the opposition half before the break, and their three shots produced only 0.07 xG. Alexis Saelemaekers was lively on Milan's right, linking with Pulisic and Gonçalo Ramos to stretch the Lecce back line, while Rabiot operated in the half-spaces, drawing fouls and dictating tempo.

The pattern persisted after the interval, but Milan added clinical finishing to their dominance. Rabiot made it 2-0 in the 61st minute, arriving late in the box to convert a Ramos cut-back with a left-footed finish (xG 0.30). The French midfielder's goal was his first of the afternoon but capped a performance in which he led Milan's individual underlying numbers — 0.30 xG from his attacking actions — and anchored the midfield with 54 touches and a 92% pass completion rate.

Lecce's resistance finally fractured. Moreira, introduced for the final 20 minutes, needed only three minutes to make an impact. The winger collected the ball on the right, cut inside onto his stronger foot, and curled a right-footed shot into the far corner for 3-0 (xG 0.56). The goal was Milan's fifth big chance of the game; Lecce created none. The hosts finished with 23 touches in the opposition box to Lecce's 10, and a 10-6 shot count that flattered the visitors.

Milan's 3-4-2-1 provided the platform for controlled possession and varied attacking angles. Pavlović's forays from centre-back added a dimension Lecce's man-to-man assignments struggled to track, while the double pivot of Rabiot and Yacine Adli (before his substitution) allowed the front three to rotate freely. Lecce's 4-3-3 offered little outlet; their forwards were isolated, and the midfield trio was bypassed by Milan's passing volume — 201 opposition-half passes to 97.

The foul count (15-9 to Lecce) and the single yellow card shown to a Lecce player told the story of a side chasing shadows. Milan's discipline — zero bookings — reflected a team rarely forced into desperate challenges. With five big chances created and an open-play xG of 1.62, the 3-0 scoreline was, if anything, a conservative reflection of the gap on the day.