AC Milan are back under the lights of San Siro tonight as they host relegation-threatened Lecce, hoping to respond after rivals won.
Milan emerged victorious in their trip to the lake on Thursday as they came from behind to beat Como 3-1, in a game that has divided opinion after a clash of styles. Now they must shift focus to beating a Lecce side that are just one position above the bottom three, so are also in need of points.
In terms of team news, there seems to be quite a bit of disagreement on the changes that Massimiliano Allegri will make. It looks like Koni De Winter will keep his spot, with chances for Samuele Ricci, Pervis Estupinan and perhaps also Ardon Jashari from minute one.
AC Milan vs. Lecce: Five key battles
Looking at the contests that will take place across the field, Lecce’s main threat in transition will definitely be Lameck Banda, who is tipped to get the nod on the left wing. He has four goal contributions to his name, and with Medon Berisha out injured (five goal contributions), Banda is the most prolific player available.
It will be a tough test for Fikayo Tomori, therefore, who will start on the right side of the three-man defence for Milan. The Englishman continues to be one of the first names on the team sheet under Allegri, and another mistake-free performance will be required.
At the other end, Rafael Leao and Christian Pulisic are the ones who are expected to lead the line for Milan. The duo are the top scorers in the league with seven and eight goals respectively, but have barely played together due to injuries.
Their opponents will be Jamil Siebert and Tiago Gabriel, the centre-back pairing that Eusebio Di Francesco should field. The former has started only three games this season, so it is a bit of a baptism of fire, while the latter has impressed with his performances and has earned Milan links.
On the left side, there will be a battle between Pervis Estupinan and Matias Perez, who face litmus tests for different reasons. The Lecce man has played only 31 minutes all season, so he will have to get match rhythm pretty quickly.
Estupinan on the other hand has not had an ideal start to life at Milan, considering he was signed for €18m to be a starter but has lost his spot, due to a combination of injuries and mistakes. There is talk of a January exit being possible, but the Ecuadorian has a chance to prove his value.
Speaking of proving value, it could be a very big night for Samuele Ricci too, who is tipped to start on the right of a midfield three with Luka Modric/Ardon Jashari and Adrien Rabiot being his colleagues in the department.
The Italian has not yet booked a starting spot since his arrival from Torino in the summer for over €20m, but there have been glimpses of his quality. His opponent Lassana Coulibaly likes to get forward, with two goals to his name already, and is a very physical player.
