In a thrilling Serie A encounter, Lecce secured a vital 2-1 win against Monza, dealing a significant blow to their relegation rivals. The match was a tense relegation showdown between two teams separated by just three points before kickoff.
The game burst into life within three minutes when Tete Morente scored a stunning goal, springing the offside trap and controlling a long ball from Federico Baschirotto to finish from 14 yards. Lecce’s momentum was briefly halted when Nikola Krstovic missed a penalty, saved brilliantly by Stefano Turati.
Monza found an unexpected equalizer through a comical own goal by Patrick Dorgu. Under pressure from Warren Bondo, Dorgu inadvertently nodded the ball into an empty net after a communication breakdown with goalkeeper Wladimiro Falcone.
Just before halftime, Krstovic redeemed himself spectacularly. Santiago Pierotti set him up with a cross-field pass, and Krstovic lashed the ball into the roof of the net from eight yards, restoring Lecce’s lead.
The match was filled with dramatic incidents, including Bianco’s goal for Monza being ruled offside and VAR disallowing two potential penalties for Lecce. Turati made several crucial saves, including a spectacular stop from Medon Berisha’s free kick.
Goals: Morente 3 (L), Dorgu og 37 (M), Krstovic 44 (L)
Lecce (4-3-3): Falcone; Guilbert, Baschirotto, Jean, Dorgu; Coulibaly, Berisha (55′ Ramadani), Rafia (68′ Rebic); Pierotti (88′ Kaba), Krstovic (68′ Helgason), Morente
Monza (3-4-2-1): Turati; Izzo (67′ Forson), Marì, Caldirola (39′ Carboni); Birindelli (79′ Pereira), Bondo, Bianco (79′ Maric), Kyriakopoulos; Maldini, Caprari (67′ Sensi ); Mota.
