Video: Christian Pulisic scores in AC Milan’s 2–0 Serie A victory vs Lecce

AC Milan needed a strong result on Friday in Serie A to move past the frustration of their opening loss to Cremonese. On the road against Lecce, they got exactly that, thanks to second-half goals from Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Christian Pulisic.

Head coach Massimiliano Allegri had to approach this match without two of his top attacking players. Rafael Leao has been sidelined for two weeks with a muscle injury sustained in the Coppa Italia match against Bari, while Pulisic started today on the bench due to discomfort in his right ankle.

Without their two key attackers, the Rossoneri struggled in the first half to turn their clear talent advantage over Lecce into goals. The teams went into halftime tied 0–0, with the most notable moment being a goal from Matteo Gabbia that was disallowed following a VAR review.

Things shifted after the break. Another goal was disallowed in the 62nd minute — this time from Santiago Gimenez — setting the stage for the breakthrough. Four minutes later, Luka Modric delivered a pinpoint cross that Ruben Loftus-Cheek headed home to give Milan the lead.

Pulisic makes the difference

With the advantage, Milan took control and secured their first win of the 2025–26 Serie A season. In the 77th minute, coach Massimiliano Allegri brought Christian Pulisic on in place of Alexis Saelemaekers — and the American forward wasted little time making an impact.

Just nine minutes after coming on, Pulisic sealed the result with the team’s second goal. He received a pass at the edge of the box, took on goalkeeper Wladimiro Falcone, and finished with a smooth left-footed touch that left the Lecce keeper with no chance. It was Pulisic’s second goal of the season, having already scored against Bari in the Coppa Italia.

What’s next in Serie A?

AC Milan’s 2–0 win over Lecce on Friday was one of two matches that kicked off Matchday 2 of the 2025–26 Serie A season. Earlier in the day, Cremonese pulled off a 3–2 victory over Sassuolo, establishing themselves as the early surprise leaders of the standings with a perfect six points.

On Saturday, reigning champions Napoli will take the field against Cagliari at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium. Another key matchup will see AS Roma face Pisa. The weekend’s action wraps up on Sunday with Inter Milan hosting Udinese and Genoa taking on Juventus.