Rafael Leao built on his midweek Champions League heroics on Sunday with a brace which gave AC Milan a 2-0 win over lowly Lecce.
On a high from helping to set up a Milan derby Champions League semi-final with an incredible assist for tie-winner Olivier Giroud on Tuesday night, Leao headed his team in front in the 40th minute at the San Siro before slinking his way past two Lecce defenders and rolling home the second with 18 minutes remaining.
Stefano Pioli’s side are outside the Champions League positions on goal difference behind Roma, who are at Atalanta on Monday night, and two points ahead of Inter Milan following their 3-0 win at Empoli, which came early on Sunday thanks to Romelu Lukaku’s second-half brace.
Milan are in a battle with local rivals Inter for qualification to next year’s edition of Europe’s top club competition, and began the day in fifth following the decision on Thursday to revoke Juventus’ 15-point penalty for illicit transfer activity.
However Juve, who host runaway league leaders Napoli later on Sunday with a chance to go second following Lazio’s home defeat by Torino on Saturday, await a new ruling from the Italian Football Federation’s (FIGC) appeals court to see if they will be handed a new points penalty.
Lecce have collected just one point from their last eight matches and are now fully in a relegation dogfight with seven fixtures remaining.
Marco Baroni’s side are two points and places above the relegation zone but might have got something out of Sunday’s clash had Lameck Banda not headed against the post from inches out in the 19th minute.
Lecce face Spezia and Verona, who respectively sit just outside and inside the drop zone, in a tricky run-in which also features trips to Juventus and Lazio.