Milan's Third Straight Win Levels Them with Torino at Serie A Top

AC Milan secured a comfortable 3-0 win over Lecce on Friday, moving them level with Torino at the top of the Serie A table. The victory, following their derby triumph over Inter Milan last weekend, was built on three first-half goals that left Lecce struggling.

Alvaro Morata, Theo Hernandez, and Christian Pulisic all found the net within a five-minute span, sending Milan to their third consecutive league win and bringing their points tally to 11, matching Torino's. Milan, with a superior goal difference, would have topped the table outright had they not played one more match than Torino.

Milan's dominant performance could have resulted in a wider margin of victory, as Tammy Abraham and Ruben Loftus-Cheek both hit the woodwork in the match, narrowly missing chances to extend the lead further.

However, the match was not without a downside for Milan, as 17-year-old defender Davide Bartesaghi was sent off with 10 minutes remaining. Bartesaghi, who had only been on the pitch for five minutes after replacing Hernandez, received a red card for a challenge on Lameck Banda.

Milan now look ahead to Tuesday's Champions League match against Bayer Leverkusen in Germany. Their key players are in fine form, particularly Pulisic, who scored his fourth goal in four matches with a close-range finish just before halftime. Hernandez, too, delivered an impressive performance, assisting Morata's opening goal and scoring Milan's second with a powerful strike.

For Lecce, the defeat capped off a difficult week. They are just one point clear of the relegation zone after a tough run of results. Last weekend, they squandered a two-goal lead in stoppage time against Parma, and they were knocked out of the Coppa Italia by second-tier Sassuolo in midweek.

Meanwhile, Inter Milan will have the chance to join Milan and Torino at the summit of Serie A if they can defeat Udinese in Saturday's early match. Inter will also host Red Star Belgrade in the Champions League on Tuesday, eager to bounce back from their derby loss.

Milan's latest win, while convincing, highlighted both their attacking prowess and some lingering disciplinary issues as they continue their campaign in both domestic and European competitions.