MILAN: AC Milan strolled past 10-man Lecce 3-0 on Saturday to consolidate second place in Serie A as Roma beat local rivals Lazio 1-0 and boosted their Champions League hopes.

Early goals from Christian Pulisic and Olivier Giroud, and Rafael Leao’s neat finish shortly before the hour mark were enough for Milan to move 11 points behind runaway leaders Inter Milan, who are at struggling Udinese on Monday.

But with the title all but decided Stefano Pioli’s in-form side are close to securing Champions League football as they lead third-placed Juventus by nine points provisionally after a seventh straight win in all competitions.

A straightforward win at the San Siro was also perfect preparation for Milan’s Italian derby in the Europa League quarter-finals with Roma.

Lecce stay 13th, four points above the relegation zone, but were livid about two decisions which contributed to their heavy defeat.

The away side were already heading to a loss by that point as Pulisic’s deflected strike sent Milan on the way to three points after five minutes before Giroud glanced home Yacine Adli’s corner 14 minutes later.

Leao then added Milan’s third in the 57th minute while Lecce winger Pontus Almqvist was prone on the ground after first being shoulder barged over by Theo Hernandez and then accidentally kneed in the head by the France left-back.

Leao’s sixth league goal of the season came on the break after Hernandez won back possession from Almqvist.

Daniele De Rossi’s Roma won their first local derby in more than two years and made sure of fifth spot in Italy’s top flight for another week.

Gianluca Mancini ensured Roma would have bragging rights in the capital city with a bullet header three minutes before half-time at the Stadio Olimpico.

Italy defender Mancini thumped home his fifth goal of the season from Paulo Dybala’s corner to give Roma a deserved win.

Former Roma captain De Rossi won his first Rome derby as coach at the first attempt after four without a win under his predecessor Jose Mourinho.

Nominal hosts Roma were unlucky not to win more convincingly as they had the better of the chances and Stephan El Shaarawy struck a great chance against the post just after half-time.

In Saturday’s late match, Empoli beat Torino 3-2.

Published in Dawn, April 8th, 2024