Gian Piero Gasperini says the championship has been ‘anything but simple’ this season, and hopes Ademola Lookman returns from the AFCON uninjured. La Dea ground out a hard-fought win against a resilient Lecce side, with Lookman scoring the only goal of the game. Speaking post-match, Gasperini explained why he was enthused by the performance, praising Lecce for their efforts:
“We played a good game today too, apart from the final 10 minutes when we were in trouble because of Lecce. The defeat in Bologna was undeserved”.
“Lecce? They are a well-organised team, difficult to beat. Hitting their defence was not easy, they have 20 points’.
“Carnesecchi? He and Musso are excellent goalkeepers, very similar in values at the moment. In order to grow and improve, Carnesecchi must play with continuity. We have to get the best out of both of them”.
“Seasons objectives? The championship is anything but simple. Last year’s return leg was extraordinary. This year we finished first in the Europa League round and in the league we scored 29 points, even though we lost a few too many games in direct confrontations. A few more draws would have put us in a better position in the standings.
“Scamacca needs to play continuously to find his best condition. Lookman will leave tomorrow (for the AFCON, ed.), but between Scamacca, Muriel, De Ketelaere and Miranchuk we are covered. They will have an even greater responsibility. I don’t want to spoil Nigeria… it’s been known since the beginning of the year, the African Cup of Nations is at a time that has nothing to do with European football. Let’s hope he does well and doesn’t get injured.”
