Lecce, 27 April 2024 – It ends with a 1-1 draw and a thrilling ending the challenge of the Via del Mare between Lecce and Monza. A match characterized by high intensity, but which only caught fire in the final stoppage time: for almost 92′, in fact, the two teams gave life to an extremely balanced challenge but lacking in emotion in front of goal. Then, suddenly, it arrived the magic of KrstovicThat in the 92nd minute he broke the deadlock with a right-footed volley that went under the seven of the opponent’s goal. A goal which for a few minutes allowed the Salento team, always very dangerous in the final quarter of an hour, to closely cherish the possibility of taking a fundamental step towards salvation. At the last breath, however, the Giallorossi’s enthusiasm was partially dampened by Pessina who converted the penalty for the final drawcaused by Venuti’s handball in the area.
First half
The initial quarter of an hour is a pure study phase, in which the two teams try to make themselves seen with a couple of sharp shots in depth from Piccoli on one side and from the Pessina-Zerbin axis on the other, while Blin in the 9th minute he tries with an unrealistic conclusion that ends up high over the opponent’s crossbar. Despite a slightly more toned and aggressive Lecce at the start, the first high note of the match is from Brianza and bears the signature of Kyriakopoulos, who in the 20th minute unleashes a left-footed strike from distance, which goes out by a breath at the bottom to Falcone’s left. Having tried their luck for the first time with the play of the Greek full-back, the red and whites slowly try to take control of the game with a slow but inexorable phrasing, but Lecce on the other side keeps pace, managing to be ready in the phase ball recovery. The spaces granted by both teams in the covering phase remain extremely limited and so the first half passes at a not very fast pace and without jolts until the 42nd minute when Pessina throws Colombo in depth who however engages face to face with Falcone he loses the right time and is recovered by the intervention of the Giallorossi defense. Salento’s response is contained in the gaps created by the left-handed lane and by the feet of Krstovic and Oudin, blocked in the 44th minute by Birindelli and Di Gregoriowho however risks something too much when he gives the ball away to the Montenegrin attacker who then doesn’t find the right outlet for his teammates, thus bringing the curtain down on a first half that ends with few emotions
Second half
We start again without substitutions and with a Lecce that pushes with greater intensity and in the 49th minute creates a delicious opportunity with Krstovic who, upon recovering the ball high from Rafia, launches a right diagonal shot from the edge that grazes the post to the right of Di Gregorio. Monza cashes in and in the 58th minute Palladino tries to shake things up by revolutionizing the attack in the 58th minute with the arrival of Djuric and Colpani, while in Lecce Sansone replaces Piccoli and Gonzalez takes Rafia’s place. The former Bologna striker tries to position himself between the lines of the Giallorossi’s offensive phase as they try to press. The match, in essence, despite the dense whirlwind of substitutions and a persistent high intensity, however fails to gain momentum at least until the 92nd minute, when Krstovic pulls a spell from the hat that shuffles the cards on the table: on the header by Pierotti, the Giallorossi striker unleashes an irresistible right-footed volley that fits under the crossbar and makes it 1-0 and returns to scoring after three months. A blaze that suddenly lights up the match but above all a crazy finish to the match. In fact, just 4′ later, Venuti flicked the ball into the area with his hand. For referee Santoro there are no doubts: it’s a penalty and on the spot Pessina is glacial in signing the 1-1 after wrong-footing Falcone. The scoreboard Lecce (4-3-3): Falcon; Gendrey (from 82′ Pierotti), Baschirotto, Pongracic, Gallo; Rafia (from 61′ Gonzalez), Blin, Dorgu (from 68′ Almqvist); Oudin (from 82′ Venuti), Krstovic, Piccoli (from 61′ Sansone). All. Gotti. Monza (4-2-3-1): Di Gregorio; Birindelli, Izzo (D’Ambrosio from 81′), Pablo Marì, Kyriakopoulos; Akpa Akpro (Galgliardini from 68′), Bondo; V. Carboni (from 58′ Colpani), Pessina, Zerbin (from 68′ Maldini); Colombo (Djuric from 58′). All. Palladino. Markers: Kstovic (90+2′), Pessina (90+9′ penalty). Note – Yellow cards: Colombo, Oudin, Izzo, Gagliardini.
