Cremonese beats Sassuolo for second straight win; Koné out of squad with suspension

CREMONA, Italy (AP) — Former Chelsea players Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Christian Pulisic scored as AC Milan beat host Lecce 2-0 for its first win in Serie A on Friday.

Actress Helen Mirren donned a yellow Lecce shirt and watched from the stands but there was little to excite the home fans or the Oscar-winning star of “The Queen.”

Milan had two goals chalked off after a video review but it eventually got one that counted midway through the second half when Loftus-Cheek rose higher than everyone else to glance home a flighted free kick.

U.S. striker Pulisic sealed the win with an assured finish under the advancing goalkeeper four minutes from time.

The win was a relief for Milan, which started the season with a shock defeat at home to newly promoted Cremonese.

Lecce has one point from its first two games.

Cremonese win again

Earlier, Cremonese became the first newly promoted side since Sampdoria in 2012 to win its first two games on return after a hard-fought 3-2 win at home to Sassuolo.

Reports in the Italian media suggested David Nicola’s side was close to signing 38-year-old former Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy on Friday but it did not need help in front of goal in the first half.

Filippo Terracciano put the home side ahead with a header in the 37th minute and two minutes later veteran Argentine midfielder Franco Vázquez made it 2-0.

Andrea Pinamonti’s skilful turn and strike got the visitor back in the game 19 minutes into the second half, before Domenico Berardi levelled the scores with a penalty nine minutes later.

However, substitute Manuel De Luca’s 93rd minute spot kick was decisive for Cremonese and helped it to become the first newly promoted side since Sampdoria to win its first two games back in the top tier.

The result comes a week after it beat AC Milan 2-1 at the San Siro and puts it top of the table ahead of this weekend’s games. Sassuolo is pointless after two matches.

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