AC Milan continue their push for a top four finish as they welcome struggling Lecce for a Serie A fixture on Sunday. Milan are on a high after reaching the semi-final of the Champions League this week and should have the upper hand over their visitors, who are in a relegation fight.
AC Milan suddenly find themselves outside the Champions League places following the decision to overturn Juventus' 15-point deduction. They are now fifth on the standings, three points behind Roma and face a serious battle to reclaim their place in the top four.
The Rossoneri’s recent Serie A form has not been up to scratch as they have claimed just one win in their last six matches and were held to a 1-1 draw by Bologna last time out. However, they will head into Sunday’s clash feeling confident after seeing off Napoli 2-1 on aggregate to reach the Champions League semi-final.
One thing that AC Milan can still count on is their solid record at the San Siro as they are unbeaten in their last six home matches. Stefano Pioli’s men have claimed four wins in that run, including a 1-0 victory over Serie A leaders Napoli in their previous fixture in front of their fans.
While AC Milan are only slightly off colour lately, Lecce have been absolutely abysmal in recent weeks. Marco Baroni’s men are winless in their last seven Serie A matches, suffering six defeats in that run.
That poor run means Lecce have suffered a steep decline down the table as they are now just five points above the relegation zone. They were held to a 1-1 home draw with Sampdoria in their previous Serie A fixture with Assan Ceesay’s first half effort cancelled out by the visitors.
Lecce will be hoping to build on that result on Sunday but their recent record on the road does not inspire much confidence. They have lost their last three away matches, failing to score in all three defeats.
How the bookies view it
AC Milan are considered overwhelming favourites among the bookies with a home win priced at 1/2 by William Hill. An unlikely victory for Lecce is valued at 13/2 with Paddy Power while a draw is set at odds of 3/1 by BoyleSports.
Head to head
AC Milan have a 12-2 advantage with 11 draws from 25 previous matches against Lecce. The reverse fixture back in January ended in a 2-2 draw while the Rossoneri have claimed three wins and a draw in the last four meetings at the San Siro.
Players to watch
Olivier Giroud signed a contract extension with AC Milan this week and is likely to be fired up on Sunday. The French striker was on target at Napoli in the Champions League and is priced at 8/5 by bet365 to get on the score sheet.
Gabriel Strefezza has been one of the shining lights for Lecce this season and could be worth keeping an eye on at the San Siro. The forward has seven goals this season and is priced at 4/1 by bet365 to find the net on Sunday.
Anything else catch the eye?
The last three meetings between AC Milan and Lecce has produced over 3.5 goals which is priced at 3/1 with BetVictor. Over 2.5 goals is valued at 11/10 by bet365 while Coral is offering odds of 6/5 on both teams to score.
AC Milan are priced at minimal odds for a straight victory, which means a win and over 2.5 goals can be considered for more value at 28/17 by 10bet.
This Serie A match between AC Milan and Lecce will be played on Apr 23, 2023 and kick off at 17:00. Check below for our tipsters best AC Milan vs Lecce prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.