epa11905670 AC Milan’s forward Santiago Gimenez celebrates after scoring during the UEFA Champions League knockout phase play-offs 2st leg match between AC Milan and Feyenoord at the Giuseppe Meazza Stadium in Milan, Italy, 18 February 2025. EPA-EFE/DANIEL DAL ZENNARO
epa11905670 AC Milan’s forward Santiago Gimenez celebrates after scoring during the UEFA Champions League knockout phase play-offs 2st leg match between AC Milan and Feyenoord at the Giuseppe Meazza Stadium in Milan, Italy, 18 February 2025. EPA-EFE/DANIEL DAL ZENNARO
Milan in crisis try to avoid a fourth straight Serie A defeat in Lecce, but also drop Youssouf Fofana, Rafael Leao and Joao Felix, with Mike Maignan suspended.
It kicks off at the Stadio Via del Mare at 17.00 GMT.
You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens from today’s four Serie A games on the Liveblog.
Sergio Conceicao is pushing the panic button after a disastrous run of form that saw them crash out of the Champions League, then lose three Serie A matches in a row, culminating in the last-gasp 2-1 home defeat to Lazio.
Maignan and Strahinja Pavlovic picked up cards and are therefore suspended today, but Conceicao is also revolutionising his squad to shake up some big names.
Joao Felix, Rafael Leao and Youssouf Fofana are all left on the bench, while Warren Bondo makes his debut after arriving injured from Monza in January.
Alex Jimenez is pushed into a more advanced role behind Santiago Gimenez, while Kyle Walker returns to the starting XI after fitness issues.
LECCE, ITALY - FEBRUARY 09: Santiago Pierotti of Lecce competes for the ball with Charalampos Lykogiannis of Bologna during the Serie A match between Lecce and Bologna at Stadio Via del Mare on February 09, 2025 in Lecce, Italy. (Photo by Maurizio Lagana/Getty Images)
LECCE, ITALY – FEBRUARY 09: Santiago Pierotti of Lecce competes for the ball with Charalampos Lykogiannis of Bologna during the Serie A match between Lecce and Bologna at Stadio Via del Mare on February 09, 2025 in Lecce, Italy. (Photo by Maurizio Lagana/Getty Images)
Lecce are without a win in four and haven’t scored in any of those matches either, confirming where their problems lie.
Their last two games were narrow 1-0 defeats to Udinese and Fiorentina respectively.
Santiago Pierotti is back after an ankle knock, while Nikola Krstovic and Thorir Helgason have also shaken off issues, leaving only Filip Marchwinski on the treatment table.
Coach Marco Giampaolo had an extremely brief tenure as coach of Milan in 2019, managing only seven games before he was sacked.
Former Milan winger Ante Rebic is also on the bench ready to come on.
Lecce vs. Milan line-ups
Lecce: Falcone; Guilbert, Baschirotto, Jean, Gallo; Coulibaly, Berisha, Helgason; Pierotti, Krstovic, Tete Morente
Milan: Sportiello; Walker, Thiaw, Gabbia, Theo Hernandez; Bondo, Musah; Pulisic, Reijnders, Jimenez; Gimenez
LEC
MIL
LEC
MIL
Last matches
Last matches
Post navigation