Three days after being shut out 0-2 at home by Benfica in their Europa League opener, AC Milan return to domestic action against Lecce needing a clean response. The loss was blunt: no goals, no real answers going forward, and a first defeat of the season across all competitions. For Christian Pulisic, Saturday at San Siro represents a chance to reset the tone and remind Ruben Amorim’s squad what it looks like when everything connects. His output in those moments has repeatedly been the difference.
Pulisic’s recent form
Pulisic has been AC Milan’s most dangerous attacking outlet through the opening stretch of the season. The club’s Serie A run reads W-W-D-D across four matches, with Pulisic central to both of their wins against Torino and Venezia. When Milan have needed a direct dribble, a switch of play, or a shot from range, the American has been the option Amorim turns to.
Against Benfica, however, he was largely anonymous, as was the whole forward line. That shutout performance will have stung him. Pulisic is one of those players who responds to being held scoreless with elevated urgency in the next fixture, and Lecce arrive at a good time: a visiting side that has conceded seven goals in four Serie A matches.
The tactical matchup
Eusebio Di Francesco sets Lecce up in a way that invites pressure from wide areas, and that suits Pulisic’s natural game. Operating from the right or as a free number ten, Pulisic thrives in tight half-spaces where he can cut inside and test the goalkeeper. Lecce’s back line, which shipped four to AS Roma and conceded three to Monza in their last home match, has not looked settled.
The specific duel to watch is Pulisic against Lecce’s left flank. Whether it is Siebert or Gallo pushing forward, those players will need to track back diligently. If Milan can get Pulisic on the ball early and in space, Di Francesco’s side will struggle to hold shape for ninety minutes.
What’s at stake for him
Pulisic has become the most-watched American field player in European football, and the visibility that comes with that status means form dips get magnified quickly. The Benfica match offered little for him to show. This fixture against Lecce, where the head-to-head history heavily favours Milan (eight wins in the last ten meetings, zero Lecce victories), gives him a more forgiving context to find his rhythm.
Beyond personal form, there is a team situation that needs addressing. Milan sit sixth with eight points, already four behind the Champions League qualification spots at this early stage. A controlled performance against Lecce, with Pulisic pulling the strings, is the kind of result Amorim needs to stabilise the squad’s confidence before the Europa League schedule ramps up.
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Our Prediction
AC Milan should find a way to win this one, and Pulisic is the likeliest source of the opening goal or the decisive contribution. Lecce’s defensive record invites optimism for the hosts, and the bounce-back factor after the Benfica defeat adds extra motivation. A 2-0 or 2-1 home win feels like the probable range, with Pulisic involved in at least one goal.