Milan-Lecce is a match of the 31st day of Serie A and is played on Sunday at 6 p.m.: odds, predictions, TV and streaming.
There are teams that when they hear the Champions League music “change the chip,” as Pep Guardiola said in an interview a few days ago.
One of them, in addition to the usual Real Madrid, is AC Milan, which in the week lived up to its coat of arms by completing the work begun seven days earlier and qualifying for the Champions League semifinals at the expense of Napoli, the crush of Serie A. In the return match at the “Maradona” the assaults of Luciano Spalletti’s Azzurri proved fruitless and thanks to another winning counterattack – magnificent the descent of Leao who put Giroud in front of the goal – the Rossoneri crowned their dream of returning to Europe’s top four after sixteen long years of waiting. In May, therefore, the Euroderby with Inter Milan will be staged, a double challenge that, like 20 years ago, will keep the city of Milan (and beyond) in suspense for several days. Before thinking about the cup extracittadina, however, it is necessary to start winning again in the league. The return of the 15 points to Juventus also indirectly affected Milan, which on Thursday found itself fifth in the standings, three points behind fourth-place Roma. Just as with Inter, if Serie A ended today the two Milanese would be resoundingly out of the next Champions League.
Lecce, salvation is again at risk
The reigning Italian champions in the last period have been distracted by Europe and ended up losing a lot of ground in the league. Say this the two draws in a row against two teams within reach such as Empoli and Bologna, which slowed down the Rossoneri’s run. Predictably, the half misstep in Emilia (1-1) where coach Pioli lined up almost exclusively reserves to preserve the starters ahead of the Naples match.
A match to be won at all costs, then, the one with Lecce, which arrives at the San Siro grappling with a decidedly unreassuring situation. The Salentini’s decline has been sharp in the second half of the season and now the risk is to be once again involved in a fight not to be relegated that has become animated again after the two successes in three matches of third-last Verona. On Friday, the Scaligeri also beat Bologna, and Marco Baroni’s Giallorossi find themselves just two points away from the red zone, which until a few weeks ago seemed far away. Disastrous has been Lecce’s roster since February: after the victory with Atalanta came six defeats in a row – in which Strefezza and his teammates did not score a single goal – and a disappointing draw (1-1) against a Sampdoria already with one and a half feet in the cadetteria. For the Tuscan coach, in short, it’s all to go again.
Milan-Lecce: the latest lineup news
Pioli will have to choose one between Kalulu and Florenzi to replace the disqualified Calabria on the right side of defense: the Frenchman appears clearly favored over the former Roma player. In defense, Thiaw will be seen again, ready to back up Kjaer, while in midfield Krunic will flank Tonali, with Bennacer again in the trequartista role between Brahim Diaz and Leao. Up front Giroud is a tall of those who could rest after Naples: chance for Rebic.
Baroni will field the typical formation, having to do without only Pongracic. Usual ballot in attack between Ceesay and Colombo, with the Gambian center forward ahead.
The prediction
It has been since 2006 that Lecce has not beaten AC Milan, and Marco Baroni’s team is the distant relative of the one that stopped the Rossoneri at 2-2 in the first leg, slowing the Scudetto race. Pioli’s team arrives to this challenge on the wings of enthusiasm because of the qualification to the Champions League semifinals, but in the league they can no longer make mistakes: we assume an AC Milan success within a match of less than three goals overall, in light of the scoring difficulties the Salentini are experiencing.
The probable formations of Milan-Lecce
- MILAN (4-2-3-1): Maignan; Kalulu, Thiaw, Tomori, Hernandez; Tonali, Krunic; Brahim Diaz, Bennacer, Leao; Rebic.
- LECCE (4-3-3): Falcone; Gendrey, Baschirotto, Umtiti, Gallo; Blin, Hjulmand, Gonzalez; Strefezza, Ceesay, Di Francesco.
POSSIBLE RESULT: 1-0
