Lecce starting XI (4-3-3): Falcone, Gendrey, Pongracic, Baschirotto, Dorgu, Kaba (subbed for Blin), Ramadani, Rafia (subbed for Gonzalez), Strefezza (subbed for Sansone), Krstovic (subbed for Piccoli), Banda (subbed for Venuti)
Bench: Brancolini, Samooja, Oudin, Berisha, Listkowski, Gallo, Smajlovic, Burnete, Dermaku, Touba
Goals: Sansone 66’, Banda 70’
AC Milan starting XI (4-3-3): Maignan, Calabria (subbed for Musah), Tomori, Thiaw, Hernandez, Pobega (subbed for Florenzi), Krunic, Reijnders, Chukwueze (subbed for Jovic), Giroud, Leao (subbed for Okafor)
Bench: Mirante, Nava, Adli, Loftus-Cheek, Romero, Bartesaghi
Goals: Giroud 28’, Reijnders 35’
Milan appeared to be heading for their first league win in more than a month on Saturday following goals from Olivier Giroud and Tijjani Reijnders, but Lecce drew level in the second half with two goals in four minutes from Nicola Sansone and Lameck Banda.
Lecce had what would have been a stoppage-time winner ruled out by the video assistant referee moments after Milan forward Giroud was sent off.
Milan were hoping to get back on track in Serie A after ending a winless run with a 2-1 victory over Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Tuesday.
The Rossoneri were already without a number of players, including Christian Pulisic, and their injury crisis deepened when Leão limped off in the 10th minute.
His replacement, Noah Okafor, had a hand in the opening goal in the 28th minute as he played a one-two with Theo Hernández who crossed for Giroud to chest in.
Milan doubled their lead seven minutes later with a superb solo goal from Reijnders, who raced downfield from near halfway before firing past Wladimiro Falcone.
Milan had let a two-goal halftime lead slip in a 2-2 draw at Napoli at the end of October and the same was to happen at Lecce.
Lecce coach Roberto D’Aversa made a triple change in the 63rd minute, bringing on Alexis Blin, Sansone and Roberto Piccoli. His substitutions proved a masterstroke.
Blin nodded on a corner three minutes later for Sansone to tap in and the latter was also involved in the equaliser as he touched on Piccoli’s cross for Banda to fire into the far bottom corner.
Sansone almost scored the winner five minutes from time but his header came off the left post and then rolled across the face of the empty goal.
Giroud was sent off in stoppage time, receiving two yellow cards in a matter of seconds for continuous dissent.
Piccoli then appeared to have scored with a long-range strike, but home fans’ joy turned to dismay when it was ruled out for a foul by the young forward.
AAP
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