Lecce coach Eusebio Di Francesco humorously characterized their thrilling 3-2 triumph over Sassuolo not as a guarantee of Serie A safety, but rather as a significant “cardiac stress test.”
Entering the penultimate round of the league, Lecce held a narrow one-point advantage over Cremonese and the relegation zone. This lead was maintained, as Cremonese secured a 1-0 away victory against Udinese, while Lecce only clinched their comparable result in the 96th minute.
Walid Cheddira had put Lecce 2-1 ahead with a brace, only for Andrea Pinamonti to equalize with a clever back-heel flick. However, Nikola Stulic ultimately fired in the decisive winning goal deep into stoppage time.
Di Francesco on Lecce’s Strain
“If I didn’t have a heart attack tonight…” Di Francesco quipped to Sky Sport Italia.
“I think this was less a match and more of a cardiac stress test, and clearly, I passed.”
Some tension flared on the touchline following the winning goal, particularly between Di Francesco and Sassuolo’s coach, Fabio Grosso.
“I heard some talk about respect, but come on, let’s not be ridiculous,” the tactician responded.
Without Stulic’s late goal, Lecce would have entered the final matchday in the relegation zone. Now, their survival remains in their own hands.
“Cheddira has always given his all on the pitch; he’s been very impressive lately. I was confident that he and Stulic could help us at this crucial moment, and I even told our director this week that Stulic was the one who would get us to our objective.”
This marks the first time this season that Di Francesco’s squad has managed to score three goals in a single game.
“The team always created dangerous situations, but we were missing something in the final pass. I only saw one way forward: to work hard in training and try to replicate it in matches.
“On the other hand, our defending wasn’t as solid as it could have been this evening, and Sassuolo had numerous scoring opportunities, so we lost our balance.”
While safety is not yet mathematically secured, a victory against Genoa at the Stadio Via del Mare next week would guarantee Lecce’s survival and send Jamie Vardy’s Cremonese down.
“This team has operated with order and discipline throughout the entire season, two significant virtues. There might be teams with more individual quality, like Sassuolo for example, but we performed well.”
