The clash between Lecce and Milan concluded with a 2-2 draw in the 12th week of Serie A at Stadio Comunale Via del Mare on Saturday night (11/11). The Rossoneri initially took a two-goal lead through Olivier Giroud and Tijani Rejinders in the second half.
However, Lecce mounted a comeback, leveling the score with goals from Nicola Sansone and Lameck Banda. The home team even had the chance to take the lead if Roberto Piccoli’s goal hadn’t been overturned by VAR.
Milan’s misfortune intensified as Rafael Leao and Davide Calabria suffered injuries during the match. This adds to Milan’s growing list of injured players, with Giroud also receiving a red card in the encounter against Lecce.
Previously, Milan had already lost Pierre Kalulu, Simon Kjaer, Mattia Caldara, and Ismael Bennacer to injuries. This leaves Milan with limited player options for the upcoming games.
Milan’s coach, Stefano Pioli, could only resign himself to the unfortunate situation. He attributed the injury storm to the high intensity of Milan’s recent matches, having played three games in just six days.
“It’s true that we are experiencing many injuries like this, and honestly, I can’t explain it,” Pioli remarked, as quoted from Football Italia.
“At this point, it can’t just be bad luck. Playing too often, the physical and mental stress levels increase, and this can affect the players,” he added.
As a result of the draw, Milan remains in third place in the Serie A standings with 23 points from 12 matches. They trail Juventus by six points, with the latter climbing to the top of the table after a 2-1 victory over Cagliari.
