Thorir Helgason’s free kick in Monza could have unlocked Lecce in a worrying statistic. Giampaolo’s team, Serie A’s worst attack with 18 goals, has yet to celebrate a goal from defenders or midfielders.
The difference is obvious with what happened last year. By the 26th round of the 2023/2024 Serie A, D’Aversa’s Lecce had benefited from seven goals between midfielders and defenders. Oudin netted three of them: most recently to open the 3-2 win at Fiorentina, in the 1-0 win at Genoa (subbing in for Rafia in the 60th minute) and in the 2-2 draw at Verona (deployed behind Banda-Krstovic-Sansone), a match in which Gonzalez also scored. Rafia sealed the 2-2 comeback draw with Fiorentina, Ramadani sealed the home win over Frosinone (2-1) and Gendrey scored the first goal of 2024 at the Via del Mare against Cagliari. The roster closes with Dorgu’s first Leccese goal to seal the comeback in the 3-2 win over Fiorentina. An 8-0 gap that opens up discussions.
The Abruzzo coach, while praising his team’s proposed play, remarked that the step forward to be more dangerous in attack is to fill the area on flurries coming from the flanks. The extra contribution, data in hand, will have to come from the midfielders.
The graft of Helgason, launched from the first minute in place of Rafia, gave Lecce verticality and offensive ideas. The Icelander was the only “non-striker” very close to scoring. In addition to the crossbar hit at the U-Power Stadium in Monza, Helgason came close to scoring in the thousandth start of the Empoli trip. Far from the net the others, starting with Baschirotto, Berisha, Pierret (a few glimpses even with a high ball), Ramadani (his was the ball of hope fired high at Monza), Coulibaly and Kaba. Only Gaspar, author of Lecce’s first official goal of the season against Mantova, celebrated the joy of the goal, but in the Coppa Italia.
The article Lecce, scoring is a problem. Defenders and midfielders still dry comes from Calcio Lecce.
