Serie A. Lecce-Udinese 1-0, penalty from Strefezza

Liberation. Lecce’s Liberation Day is celebrated three days after 25 April. Liberation from a nightmare because victory had been missing since February 19 in Bergamo (1-2) with Atalanta. This time Marco Baroni’s team beat (1-0) with a penalty (granted with the help of the Var) converted by his scorer (8 goals) Gabriel Strefezza Udinese, who immediately appeared to give up. If you want to fight for the first 8-10 places, that’s not the spirit. It’s true that with only one striker in the role it wasn’t easy, but tonight’s Udinese seemed to leave a free corridor for the Giallorossi from Salento as if to say “take a seat, please, there’s room”…. Lecce played a game tactically very shrewd because with the anxiety and concern and Verona close behind, she couldn’t think otherwise. High pressing, disturbing, but not frantic racing against an opponent who crashes you if you put on pace and physicality. When Udinese faced the front, they created more than one worry for a defense which, with excellent Baschirotto and Umtiti, conceded very little. Now the people of Salento breathe. Three points are fundamental in a battle that will only end on June 4th. While Udinese is waiting for Napoli and who knows if it will be celebration or disappointment in front of the many Neapolitans who are in Friuli.

Surprise

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And here is the challenge: Success and Pafundi lost, after Deulofeu, the last illustrious absentee in attack is Beto, the team’s scorer. Official reason: lumbago. Beto didn’t even leave. In fact, Primavera Semedo is on the bench.

The match

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At that point Sottil has even more forced choices and has to let Nestorovski play his first game as a starter. Lecce is in the formation announced with Colombo in attack together with Strefezza and Di Francesco. Baroni’s choice is to “wait” for Udinese by building it from below and applying strong pressing with the three forwards. And in fact the Friulians make some mistakes. In the 7th minute Bijol knocks Di Francesco out badly and gets the first yellow card. After a few minutes Colombo’s opening is beautiful, but Di Fra arrives a moment late. The wrong back passes abound: first Udogie, then Walace, but the Giallorossi never take advantage of these gifts. They can’t seize the moment and conclude, there’s always one step or one hesitation too many. Thrill for Umtiti who comes out battered in a clash with Nesto. Shoulder. But he comes back. Marchetti, on the other hand, consults with Valeri in the Var room for a ball that crosses the whole mirror and would touch Bijol’s arm. No penalty, corner. In the 27th minute Udinese faces the front and it’s scary: Pereyra finds Ehizibue, but Gallo is good at closing. Two minutes later Hjulmand tries to shoot, but finds the deflection. In the 33rd minute Strefezza sows Pereyra on the right, kicks, but also in this case finds the deflection. But the greatest dangers are created by Udinese which, despite playing at a slow trot, does damage if it advances: Samardzic fishes Bijol’s head from a free kick and Falcone is there, but the Roman goalkeeper overcomes himself on the invading Lovric’s bicycle kick by removing the ball from goal. The last thrill is in the added time with Walace’s shot from outside that goes high and wide, but not by much.

Second half

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There are no changes at halftime. The match for Lecce is too tense, few resources on the bench for Udinese. Lecce starts strong: cross from Blin, Di Fra heads for Falcone. In the 6th minute Strefezza runs into the yellow card which will make him blow up Juve on Wednesday. And shortly after Baroni opts for the first change: out Colombo, in Ceesay. Ungenerous whistles. There are 33 minutes to play. Marchetti avoids two yellow cards for Lovric and Samardzic, but in the 14th minute there is the episode that will decide the game and Marchetti doesn’t see it either. Udogie spreads Gendrey launched on the right, so much launched that he goes off the field. From Var Fabbri sends the referee to the monitor who gives the penalty. The heaviest ball of the season fell to Strefezza who made no mistake in the 18th minute. One to zero. The Via del Mare explodes. Gendrey suffers another blow and has to give way to Romagnoli. Udinese didn’t sting, even if in the 26th minute Gallo sacrificed himself on Eizibue and made two saves. Sottil tries to change again, he also inserts Masina and Ehizibue and switches to a 3-4-3 with Ebosele and Thauvin wide. Baroni responds with three substitutions because Blin and Oudin have none left. We need a last effort with fresh people and Lecce with many worries, after 7 minutes of added time they win and now live with greater serenity.