Lecce finally break through with their first victory of the campaign, as Sottil’s first-half cross sneaks past Suzuki. Parma disappoint in front of their home fans.
Lecce earned their first win of the Serie A season with a narrow but valuable 1–0 victory away to Parma, a result that lifts Eusebio Di Francesco’s team off the bottom of the table. It wasn’t a game filled with rhythm or spectacle, but it was exactly what the Giallorossi needed — three points and a clean sheet after a difficult start to the campaign.
The match was decided in the first half by a stroke of luck. In the 37th minute, Riccardo Sottil sent in a low cross that slipped past everyone, including goalkeeper Suzuki, and found the back of the net. It was an awkward moment for Parma’s defense and a welcome break for Lecce, who had struggled to create much up to that point.
Parma started brightly, relying on the connection between Bernabé and Pellegrino and the constant forward runs of Valeri down the left. But when Valeri was forced off injured midway through the first half, their attacking edge faded. After conceding, Cuesta’s side lost their shape and struggled to recover, while Lecce grew in confidence and came close to doubling the lead on several occasions.
The second half offered little improvement from either side. Lecce managed the game with maturity, controlling the tempo and closing spaces, while Parma’s possession-heavy approach produced very few real chances. Cutrone missed their best opportunity with a shot that drifted wide, and in stoppage time Falcone pulled off a brilliant save to deny Delprato’s header.
For Lecce, it’s a morale-boosting result ahead of the international break and their first glimpse of momentum this season. For Parma, it’s a reality check — Cuesta’s “tiki-taka” approach looks elegant on paper, but without end product, it’s not delivering points.
Match Report
Serie A – Matchday 6
Stadio Ennio Tardini, Parma
Scorer: 37’ Sottil (L)
Parma (3-5-2): Suzuki; Delprato, Circati, Ndiaye; Britschgi (46’ Almqvist), Keita, Bernabé (84’ Estevez), Sorensen (65’ Benedyczak), Valeri (25’ Lovik, 85’ Djuric); Cutrone, Pellegrino.
Coach: Cuesta
Lecce (4-3-3): Falcone; Veiga, Tiago Gabriel, Gaspar, Gallo; Berisha (88’ Ndaba), Ramadani, Coulibaly (88’ Kaba); Sottil (66’ Banda), Stulic (75’ Camarda), Pierotti.
Coach: Eusebio Di Francesco
Bookings: Ndiaye (P), Banda (L), Gaspar (L)
Sent off: None
