AC Milan closed the gap on Serie A leaders Inter to three points after grinding out a 1-0 victory over Lecce at San Siro, extending their unbeaten run to six matches in the process.

Inter’s win over Udinese on Saturday meant Milan had little margin for error, and the hosts responded by controlling the opening stages. Despite their dominance, clear chances were at a premium as Lecce’s well-organised defence held firm throughout the first half.

Milan showed early intent, with Alexis Saelemaekers bending an effort wide and Matteo Gabbia heading over the crossbar. Rafael Leão briefly thought he had given the Rossoneri the lead with a delicate chipped finish, only for the assistant referee’s flag to rule him clearly offside.

Targeting the space behind Lecce’s relatively high defensive line, Milan repeatedly looked to release their forwards in behind. However, the visitors’ offside trap proved effective, catching Leão out on multiple occasions and stifling much of the hosts’ attacking threat.

The best opening before the interval fell to Christian Pulisic, who forced Wladimiro Falcone into the lone save of a subdued first half. Lecce, meanwhile, offered little going forward, with Nikola Stulic’s ambitious flick sailing harmlessly over the bar.

After the restart, Milan raised the tempo and began to apply sustained pressure. Gabbia went close twice more with headers that narrowly cleared the crossbar, while Pervis Estupiñán tested Falcone’s alertness with a speculative volley from range.

Falcone was then called into action again, reacting sharply to push Samuele Ricci’s low drive behind for a corner before producing an even finer stop to deny Pulisic from close range. Adrien Rabiot also squandered a promising opportunity, firing over first time while unmarked in the box.

The breakthrough finally arrived through substitute Niklas Füllkrug, who made an immediate impact. The German striker rose unchallenged to head home from close range after being picked out by a perfectly weighted Saelemaekers cross, giving Milan the goal their pressure deserved.

With Lecce unable to mount any sustained response, Milan managed the closing stages comfortably to claim a vital three points. The result extends their unbeaten home run to 10 matches and keeps them firmly in contention for just a fourth Scudetto of the century. Lecce remain in the relegation zone and are still searching for a first win over Milan since 2006.