AC Milan closed the gap on Serie A leaders Inter to three points after Niklas Fullkrug’s header secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Lecce at San Siro.

AC Milan kept the pressure firmly on rivals Inter Milan with a slim but vital 1-0 win over Lecce, extending their unbeaten run to six matches and maintaining momentum in the Scudetto race.

Knowing Inter had already claimed three points away at Udinese, Milan began with intent and dominated the opening half, though they found chances hard to come by against a disciplined Lecce defence that stood firm for long spells.

The Rossoneri showed early promise as Alexis Saelemaekers curled an effort wide and Matteo Gabbia headed over from a set-piece. Rafael Leao briefly thought he had broken the deadlock with a clever chipped finish, only for the assistant’s flag to correctly rule it out for offside.

Milan repeatedly tried to exploit space in behind Lecce’s high defensive line, but the visitors’ offside trap worked effectively, catching Leao out more than once. Christian Pulisic forced Wladimiro Falcone into the only save of the first half, while Lecce barely threatened beyond a speculative Nikola Stulic flick over the bar.

After the restart, Massimiliano Allegri’s side raised the tempo and began to turn the screw. Gabbia twice went close with headers, while Pervis Estupinan and Samuele Ricci both tested Falcone from range, prompting a pair of sharp saves from the Lecce goalkeeper.

Falcone was at his best again to deny Pulisic from close range, before Adrien Rabiot wasted a good opportunity by firing over when unmarked inside the box. Milan’s pressure was relentless, and it finally told in the latter stages.

Substitute Niklas Fullkrug made the decisive impact, rising unmarked to head home from close range after a pinpoint Saelemaekers delivery. Lecce offered little in response, allowing Milan to see the game out comfortably and stay firmly in the title hunt, while the visitors remain stuck in the relegation zone.