Eusebio Di Francesco, Lecce`s manager, acknowledged Milan`s deserved 3-0 victory in Tuesday`s Coppa Italia clash. He admitted the early dismissal of Jamil Siebert significantly altered the course of the match.
Milan`s triumph came through goals from Santiago Gimenez, Christopher Nkunku, and Christian Pulisic. The task became considerably easier for Milan after Siebert received a red card in the 18th minute.
Di Francesco commented post-match, “The result was fair. We must be candid – the game effectively ended after the red card. Our initial approach was lacking, and I made numerous changes to evaluate player performance. It`s challenging to assess our game fully, but I`ve expressed to the team that I expect a different showing on Sunday.”
Regarding Milan loanee Francesco Camarda, Di Francesco noted, “He found himself isolated today. We struggled to intercept and reset play effectively. He did what he could under the circumstances. I kept him on the field until the end to observe other players like Gorter, given that the outcome was already decided.”
The manager took partial responsibility for the loss, citing his decision to make 10 changes to the starting lineup for this cup fixture. However, he emphasized that competing became nearly impossible following Siebert`s dismissal.
This defeat in the Coppa Italia`s second round at San Siro highlights the challenges Lecce faced against a strong Milan side, especially when reduced to ten men early in the match.