AC Milan 3-0 Lecce Player Ratings: Alexis Saelemaekers 8.5/10 Rated as Rossoneri Cruise to a 3-0 Victory

AC Milan were simply on another planet compared to Lecce in this Coppa Italia clash. The 3-0 scoreline honestly flatters the visitors. It was a complete and utter domination from the first whistle to the last at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza.

The game was effectively over inside 20 minutes. Santiago Gimenez stabbed home the opener, and soon after, Lecce's Jamil Siebert saw a straight red card for a reckless challenge. From that moment on, it was just a question of how many Milan would score. They played with a swagger and confidence that was brilliant to watch.

The second half continued in the same vein. Christopher Nkunku added a second goal shortly after the restart. Then, substitute Christian Pulisic joined the party with a third. We noticed AC Milan could have had six or seven, hitting the woodwork three times and forcing Lecce's keeper into a string of saves. It was a statement performance. Here are the AC Milan vs Lecce player ratings.

Milan Player Ratings vs Lecce

Here are the AC Milan player ratings vs Lecce.

Goalkeeper

Mike Maignan - 6.5: Had one of the quietest nights of his career. He made one save all game, which was a comfortable one. His distribution was tidy as always. An easy clean sheet for the captain.

Defenders

Koni De Winter - 7.0: Extremely comfortable at the back. He passed the ball with an incredible 98% accuracy. He was never really troubled defensively. A very composed performance from the defender.

Fikayo Tomori - 7.5: A rock in defense and so progressive with the ball. He made three interceptions and was constantly looking to start attacks. From our perspective, he looked a class above. He even created a chance for his teammates.

Strahinja Pavlović - 7.0: Strong and aggressive. He won most of his duels and was a physical presence. The yellow card was a slight blot on his copybook. Otherwise, a very solid outing before being subbed off.

Midfielders

Alexis Saelemaekers - 8.5: Our man of the match. He was absolutely electric in his 61 minutes on the pitch. He created five chances, grabbed an assist, and was a constant thorn in Lecce's side. What stood out to us was his vision and a willingness to try things. A fantastic display.

Adrien Rabiot - 7.5: A chaotic but effective performance. He was everywhere, making tackles, driving forward, and shooting on sight. He was unlucky to hit the woodwork and missed a few big chances. His energy was infectious throughout.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek - 7.5: So elegant on the ball. He didn't misplace a single pass all game. He also rattled the crossbar with a powerful shot. He controlled the tempo of the game with ease.

Samuele Ricci - 6.5: A tidy, if unspectacular, 45 minutes. He kept possession well but picked up a needless yellow card. He did his job before being replaced at halftime. A decent shift.

Davide Bartesaghi - 7.5: An excellent creative outlet from a deeper role. He supplied a lovely assist and created two other big chances. His crossing was a real weapon for Milan today.

Forwards

Christopher Nkunku - 8.0: A livewire. He scored a poacher's goal and also hit the woodwork. He was a constant threat with his movement and dribbling. We were disappointed to see him subbed off; he was having fun out there.

Santiago Gimenez - 7.0: Got the all-important opening goal with a good finish. However, he will be disappointed not to have scored more. He missed two big chances that he'd normally bury. Still a good performance.

Substitutes

Christian Pulisic - 7.5: What an impact. He came on and scored almost immediately. He looked sharp and eager to impress. He created another great chance late on. Excellent cameo.

Zachary Athekame - 6.0: Came on for the brilliant Saelemaekers and kept things simple. Didn't do much wrong.

Cheveyo Balentien - 6.0: Replaced Gimenez but the game was already won. Had little service.

David Odogu - 6.0: Slotted in for Pavlovic and saw the game out comfortably.

Manager

M. Allegri - 8.0: His game plan worked to perfection. His team selection was spot on, and they blew Lecce away from the start. His substitutions were managed well. A perfect day at the office.

Lecce Player Ratings vs Milan

Goalkeeper

Christian Früchtl - 7.0: It might seem strange to rate a keeper who conceded three this high. But without his six saves, this would have been a historic thrashing. He was abandoned by his defense. He deserves credit for preventing a total humiliation.

Defenders

Danilo Veiga - 5.5: He was run ragged all game. He battled hard, winning a decent number of duels. But he was part of a defense that was completely overwhelmed. A very tough evening.

Tiago Gabriel - 6.0: Probably the best of a bad bunch at the back. He made six clearances and won most of his duels. He still looked shaky at times, which is understandable given the circumstances.

Jamil Siebert - 4.0: A disastrous performance. His early red card completely killed any chance his team had. A moment of madness that left his teammates with an impossible task for over 70 minutes.

Corrie Ndaba - 5.0: A very difficult night for the defender. He made a clear error that led to a shot. He looked off the pace and struggled against Milan's fluid attack. A day to forget.

Tete Morente - 5.5: He barely made an impact on the game. He was subbed off before the hour mark having contributed very little. He looked lost defensively.

Midfielders

Medon Berisha - 6.5: The captain fought bravely in a losing battle. He tried to get on the ball and even forced a good save from Maignan. One of the few Lecce players to come away with any credit.

Mohamed Kaba - 5.0: Completely anonymous. He lost the midfield battle and was booked for a clumsy foul. It was no surprise to see him hooked at halftime.

Thórir Jóhann Helgason - 5.0: Like Kaba, he was a passenger in the first half. He only touched the ball 9 times. He was rightly substituted at the break.

Forwards

Francesco Camarda - 6.0: We felt for him. He worked tirelessly and drew several fouls. But he was completely isolated and had zero service to work with. He never stopped running.

Konan N’Dri - N/A: He was on the pitch for just 22 minutes before being sacrificed tactically after the red card. It's impossible to give him a fair rating.

Substitutes

Kialonda Gaspar - 5.5: Brought on after the red card, but couldn't stem the tide.

Santiago Pierotti - 6.0: Looked lively enough but the game was long gone.

Olaf Gorter - 5.5: Failed to make any sort of impact.

Antonino Gallo - 5.5: Struggled to get involved.

Lassana Coulibaly - N/A: Came on for the final 10 minutes.

Manager

E. Di Francesco - 5.0: From our perspective, his plan was out the window after 18 minutes. It's hard to be too critical given the red card. However, his team looked defensively frail even before going down to ten men.

Sportsdunia's Player of the Match is Alexis Saelemaekers