The United States forward Christian Pulisic made his return to the AC Milan lineup as they secured a vital 1-0 victory over relegation-threatened Lecce. The match was highlighted by Niclas Füllkrug, who scored his first goal in nearly a year, providing the crucial winner for his team.
This victory narrowed Milan’s deficit to Serie A leaders Inter Milan to just three points. Inter, who also faced Lecce recently, managed to win 1-0 against Udinese on Saturday.
Füllkrug, who joined Milan on loan from West Ham during the winter transfer window in Italy, has not scored since April 5th when he found the net for Bournemouth in the Premier League.
He broke that long scoring drought in the 76th minute, shortly after coming on for Pulisic. Alexis Saelemaekers received a long pass from Matteo Gabbia and delivered a perfect cross for Füllkrug to head into the far corner.
Pulisic created two of Milan’s best opportunities before exiting the pitch, but he was thwarted by outstanding saves from Lecce goalkeeper Wladimiro Falcone, who made several impressive stops throughout the match.
As a result of this defeat, Lecce has now dropped into the relegation zone, falling behind Fiorentina on goal difference.