Christian Pulisic scored his first goal in 266 days as Milan beat Lecce 3-0 at San Siro, a result that arrived at exactly the right moment after back-to-back league draws against Juventus and Lazio and a Europa League defeat to Benfica in midweek.
The performance owed plenty to Ruben Amorim's team selection. According to Corriere della Sera, the coach went with his strongest available lineup: Mario Gila returned to the defence, Luka Modrić and Adrien Rabiot partnered in midfield, and Pulisic started in attack. The message was clear enough after a run of underwhelming results.
Pulisic broke the deadlock with a sharp first-time finish past Falcone, latching onto a through ball from Strahinja Pavlović that split the Lecce defence. It was the kind of goal the American has been missing, and one that felt overdue given the quality of his recent link-up play without end product.
Rabiot doubled the lead, with Gonçalo Ramos providing the assist. The Portuguese striker's night was a mixed bag, according to the report. He ran hard, linked play effectively and created the second goal, but he again drifted too far from the penalty area and failed to find the net himself. That pattern is becoming a recurring theme.
Diego Moreira wrapped things up with his third goal of the season for the Rossoneri, putting the result beyond any doubt and ensuring Milan head into the international break with three points secured.
The selection felt like a statement from Amorim. After rotating and experimenting through the opening weeks of his tenure, the 3-0 scoreline with his best available players on the pitch suggests the period for trying things out may be closing. Several Milan players will now depart for international duty, leaving Milanello quieter for a few days before a schedule that tightens considerably when Serie A resumes, with fixtures arriving every three or four days.
Amorim will need the full depth of his squad fit and sharp for that stretch, and a comfortable win like this one is the best possible way to send players off on their breaks.