The Salento team collected chances and broke through in the 83rd minute thanks to a shot from outside by Oudin. Liguri with 10 men from the 36th minute due to Martin’s expulsion
The top of the table is just one point away, the season’s score is three wins and two draws. At the Via del Mare, Roberto D’Aversa’s Lecce achieved their third consecutive home success, thanks to a 1-0 win against Genoa in the first match of the fifth matchday. Martin’s expulsion was fatal for the Ligurians, as he was sent off in the 36th minute for a double yellow card caused by Almqvist, while the Giallorossi rejoiced thanks to yet another invention from Remi Oudin, making his seasonal debut, bought in the summer after last year’s loan. The Frenchman had greeted Lecce with a goalscorer against Bologna on the last day of 2022-2023. He presented himself again in the same way, after the permanent transfer in the last days of the transfer window.
Martin’s INGENUITY
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Without the suspended Baschirotto and the injured Banda, D’Aversa fields Touba as the starter and relaunches Strefezza from the start. In the first half hour the Salento team dominated the game, driven by the flashes of Almqvist and Strefezza himself on the flanks. In the 9th minute, Gilardino already had to deal with two yellow cards: De Winter on the right lane, Martin on the other side. The Giallorossi wasted a couple of chances with the usual Krstovic, Genoa didn’t give up and in the 32nd minute they created their first real scoring opportunity: Gudmundsson entered the area with the ball at his feet, looked for the goal but Touba blocked him and deflected it for a corner. Right in the rossoblú’s best moment, Martin lets Almqvist slip away again and receives a second yellow card for incorrect play. Before the break a gore from Krstovic goes out a few centimeters from the goal defended by Martinez, the first half ends at 0-0 despite the numerical superiority.
THE RECOVERY
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Upon returning to the pitch, Genoa takes action: Vazquez comes on for De Winter, Gilardino switches to a three-man defence. However, Lecce sought the advantage with determination: they came close with Almqvist – a shot just over with a conclusion from the edge of the area – and with an overhead kick from Krstovic in the 62nd minute. D’Aversa inserts Dorgu and Oudin in place of Gallo and Rafia, switches to 4-2-3-1 and relies heavily on the qualities of Almqvist, good at creating numerical superiority and dangerous again on two occasions. Genoa found themselves crushed in their own half, yet in the 80th minute their goal was still clean. The Salento players went all out and, in the final, opted for the 4-2-4: Piccoli joined Krstovic at the center of the attack, Sansone made his debut in place of Strefezza. The move is risky, but it brings the desired results: Lecce presses on the accelerator and in the 83rd minute Oudin, making his first appearance of the season, scores the 1-0 with a long-range shot slightly deflected by Frendrup. In the final, Genoa is tired but doesn’t give up and tries to equalize with Puscas and Malinovskyi. Lecce doesn’t give up and, at the final whistle, they daydream: the match ends 1-0 and, at least for one night, Sticchi Damiani’s club will be second in the standings.
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