Christian Pulisic scores in 5th straight for 1st time in career

Christian Pulisic scored in his fifth straight game for club and country for the first time in his career as his AC Milan side eased to a 3-0 win over Lecce in Italy’s Serie A on Friday.

Pulisic’s 43rd-minute finish was his fourth goal in as many games for Milan, while he also scored in the United States’ friendly with New Zealand earlier this month.

Milan netted three goals in five minutes shortly before half-time on Friday to secure victory at the San Siro.

Álvaro Morata put the home side ahead with a glancing header from Theo Hernández’s free kick after 38 minutes. Hernández then ran on to a pass from Rafael Leão and lashed the ball into the roof of the net from a tight angle two minutes later, before Pulisic made it 3-0.

It was the American’s fifth goal in seven games this season and takes his combined total of goals and assists since joining the Rossoneri in June last year to 32, higher than anyone else in the Serie A.

Davide Bartesaghi was shown a straight red card for Milan with 10 minutes remaining, but it was too late to give Lecce hopes of a comeback.

The victory takes Milan to 11 points and joint top of the league with Torino, although the Turin club has a game in hand against Lazio on Sunday.

“Today it was too important to win, after the derby there is always a state of euphoria,” Milan coach Paulo Fonseca told DAZN.

“This team in recent years didn’t play positional football. It often relied on counterattacks. Now we need to create space with rigorous positioning, doing things at the right time. The team did well today, but I want more.”

Lecce remains fourth from bottom of the 20-team league, with just one win and five points from its first six games.

Milan will travel to Germany next week to face Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Information from The Associated Press and ESPN Research contributed to this report.