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A few days after a crucial victory in Europe, AC Milan is set to return to domestic action this Saturday, as they travel to the Stadio Via del Mare to face Lecce.
Despite a slow start in the Champions League and recent struggles in Serie A, Milan's recent win against Paris Saint-Germain has helped erase the memories of a four-game winless streak. On the other hand, Lecce has been without a win since September.
Just a couple of weeks ago, Milan suffered a 3-0 defeat in France and had gone five Champions League matches without scoring a single goal. However, they completely turned the tables on Tuesday night by defeating Paris Saint-Germain at San Siro, bringing hope of progressing from Group H. This success was achieved thanks to goals from Rafael Leao and Olivier Giroud. The Rossoneri are now just one point behind the top two teams in the challenging Group H, and they have important matches against Borussia Dortmund and Newcastle United on the horizon after the international break.
In Serie A, Milan has encountered a rough patch, losing three matches and drawing one in all competitions in the past two weeks. Their woes include a narrow loss to Juventus with 10 men, squandering a two-goal lead to draw with reigning champions Napoli, and a shocking home defeat against winless Udinese last week. With two losses in their last three league games, which is the same as their total in the previous 19 matches (where they had 13 wins), Stefano Pioli will be eager to use the momentum from their Champions League success as motivation for a domestic resurgence.
It's worth noting that Milan has lost only one of their last 23 Serie A encounters against Lecce, and that single loss dates back to April 2006. Consequently, anything less than maximum points in the upcoming weekend's match would raise doubts about Milan's prospects as strong contenders for the Scudetto.
Lecce's history against Milan in Serie A has been marked by numerous failures to secure victories, whether at home or away. However, it's noteworthy that in their most recent 12 encounters with the Milanese club at Stadio Via del Mare, they have suffered defeat on just three occasions.
Their current coach, Roberto D'Aversa, is likely hoping that this positive trend will work in their favor this Saturday. Lecce's 2023-24 season started off strongly, but they have hit a rough patch and are gradually slipping down the Serie A standings.
After a painful loss to Roma in their previous match, Lecce has dropped to the 13th position in the league. Despite collecting an impressive 11 points from their first five games, they have managed to secure only two more points from the subsequent six matches.
Following their elimination from the Coppa Italia by Serie B leaders Parma, where they conceded two late goals and lost 4-2, Lecce seemed on track for victory at Stadio Olimpico last Sunday. Wladimiro Falcone saved an early penalty from Romelu Lukaku, and Pontus Almqvist then put them ahead in the 72nd minute. However, they surrendered two more goals in added time, resulting in a 2-1 defeat to their fellow Giallorossi, with Lukaku delivering the decisive blow. Another challenging fixture awaits them this weekend.
