AC Milan stall once more as they take a point from Lecce thriller

Lecce were dramatically denied a come-from-behind victory but still put the brakes on AC Milan’s attempt to reignite their Serie A title charge as second-half goals forced a 2-2 draw at the Stadio Via del Mare.

With Milan hoping to exploit Lecce’s own floundering form, Olivier Giroud finished off a swift team move before the half-hour and Netherlands international Tijjani Reijnders plundered his first Diavolo goal to double their advantage.

But Nicola Sansone and Lameck Banda hit back after the break with two goals in four minutes and although Roberto Piccoli will feel aggrieved his solo goal at the death was ruled out, Lecce did enough to arrest their own slide for now.

Stefano Pioli’s Milan responded to a four-game winless run featuring three defeats by beating European Cup rivals Paris St Germain at San Siro in midweek, but making a prompt return to winning ways in the league was imperative, with Inter Milan and Juventus pulling clear in the top two and an improving Napoli side breathing down their necks in fourth.

However, the northerners suffered an early setback in Puglia as with only 10 minutes played key forward Rafael Leao – on target against PSG on Tuesday – left the pitch with a thigh injury.

His replacement Noah Okafor made a quick impact by setting up Tommaso Pobega for a powerful shot from distance that Wladimiro Falcone showed fine reflexes to repel.

Milan did break through in the 28th minute. Okafor and Theo Hernandez linked up down the left side before a neat cross found Giroud, with the Frenchman taking his time to pass Federico Baschirotto before beating Falcone.

Seven minutes later it was 2-0 thanks to a first Serie A goal for Reijnders, who ran on to Samuel Chukwueze’s through ball and, with Giroud’s clever movement off the ball distracting the Lecce defence, slotted under Falcone’s body.

Reijnders soon came looking for his brace courtesy of a similar Milan move but this time the Dutch midfielder hit a post.

Banda might have halved the deficit heading into the break when he found himself two steps in front of Mike Maignan only to watch the Rossoneri goalkeeper pull off a remarkable save.

Okafor looked to push Milan further clear with a right-footed finish in the 64th minute but instead it was Lecce who scored next, an unmarked Sansone heading in Alexis Blin’s cross two minutes later.

Milan were rocked again when Banda put the icing on a rapid counter-attack that started when Yunus Musah lost the ball in a dangerous area.

Full time.#LecceMilan #SempreMilanBrought to you by @Acqua_Lete pic.twitter.com/xYR6J3VCNE

— AC Milan (@acmilan) November 11, 2023

Sansone came perilously close to sealing a remarkable comeback win for Lecce when, in the 84th minute, he sat Alessandro Florenzi down only to smash the ball against a post with Maignan beaten. Emotions soon boiled over as Giroud saw red for protesting too vehemently that Marin Pongracic had committed handball.

There was somehow even more late drama to come as Lecce were denied what looked like a clear last-gasp winner from Piccoli.

The Atalanta loanee was ecstatic after finding the back of the net from way out but a VAR review ruled he had fouled Malick Thiaw.