A 3-0 victory over Lecce at San Siro has given AC Milan genuine reason for optimism after a difficult start to the season under Ruben Amorim. The win, built on goals from Pulisic, Rabiot and substitute Moreira, was the clearest sign yet that Amorim's ideas are beginning to take shape on the pitch. For the first time this season, Milan looked fluid, dominant and well-organised across all three phases of the game.

The result carries extra weight given the context. Just days earlier, Milan had been booed off at San Siro following a poor Europa League defeat to Benfica, with Amorim facing sharp criticism for his team selection and his pre-match comments. The turnaround against Lecce did not erase those concerns entirely, but it shifted the mood considerably.

Central to that shift was Christian Pulisic. Starting for the first time this season, the American ended a 266-day goal drought in Milan colours and looked every bit the creative force the team had been missing. Amorim acknowledged after the match that giving his players more positional freedom made a clear difference, a tactical adjustment that may prove significant going forward.

Milan sit fifth in Serie A with 11 points from five games. The next test comes away at Sassuolo on 11 October, after the international break, where Amorim will look to prove Sunday's performance was a turning point rather than an exception.