Lecce earn a dramatic victory at the Mapei Stadium thanks to a stoppage-time goal from Stulic, moving into the final matchday with their Serie A destiny still in their own hands.
US Sassuolo Calcio and US Lecce delivered one of the wildest matches of Matchday 37, with Lecce securing an unforgettable 3-2 victory thanks to a goal deep into stoppage time.
The result could prove decisive in the relegation battle, as Lecce now head into the final weekend of the season knowing survival remains entirely in their own hands.
The visitors started aggressively and broke through after just 15 minutes when Walid Cheddira finished off a quick attacking move to put Lecce ahead. Sassuolo responded midway through the first half through Armand Laurienté, who restored parity with a clinical finish.
But the celebration barely lasted, because Cheddira immediately struck again to restore Lecce’s advantage and continue his outstanding performance in attack. The forward wearing the No. 99 shirt consistently caused problems for Sassuolo’s defense throughout the evening.
Sassuolo pushed hard after halftime and eventually found another equalizer in dramatic fashion late in the match. Andrea Pinamonti produced a brilliant backheel finish near the end of regulation to make it 2-2 and seemingly rescue a point for the Neroverdi.
The chaos, however, was not over.
Deep into stoppage time, Lecce found one final breakthrough. In the 96th minute, Stulic reacted quickest inside the box and fired home the winner, sparking huge celebrations among the traveling supporters and keeping Lecce’s survival hopes alive heading into the last round of fixtures.
Match Report
Sassuolo 2-3 Lecce
Scorers:
15’ Cheddira (Lecce)
25’ Laurienté (Sassuolo)
25’ Cheddira (Lecce)
90’ Pinamonti (Sassuolo)
90+6’ Stulic (Lecce)
Sassuolo (4-3-3)
Turati; Coulibaly, Pedro Felipe, Muharemovic, Garcia; Thorstvedt, Matic (63’ Lipani), Kone (72’ Bakola); Berardi (72’ Volpato), Nzola (63’ Pinamonti), Laurienté (88’ Frangella).
Head Coach: Fabio Grosso.
Lecce (4-2-3-1)
Falcone; Veiga (87’ N’Dri), Tiago Gabriel, Gallo; Ramadani (87’ Stulic), Ngom; Pierotti (79’ Gandelman), Coulibaly, Banda (63’ Jean); Cheddira (80’ Camarda).
Head Coach: Eusebio Di Francesco.
Referee: La Penna
Yellow Cards: Ramadani, Muharemovic, Veiga, Gabriel, Gallo
Red Cards: None
