All in all, a fair draw, as also revealed by the two coaches after the match, but with heart-pounding emotions at the end. 1-1 between Lecce and Monza in the first Saturday match of Serie A, with the 0-0 remaining until the 92nd minute, when Nikola Krstovic, with a wonderful right foot under the top corner, blew up Via del Mare, who was anticipating almost certain salvation. A naivety from Venuti, who hit the ball in a disorganized way with his arm in the penalty area, forcing the referee to award the penalty which was then scored by Matteo Pessina in the 96th minute.
Gotti’s words.
Lecce coach Luca Gotti was clearly disappointed and commented: “Sadness is human. We took the lead two minutes from the end and it seemed like it was done, also because we hadn’t conceded anything to the opponent at all. Taking the 1-1 draw with a penalty of this type it doesn’t make us happy. I feel like saying that it was a tough match, played on every ball and without the players sparing themselves. With a clear head, it must be said that a draw is the fairest result , I have no recriminations from this point of view. It’s obvious, however, that when you take the lead in the 92nd minute and enjoy an almost definitive ranking and then take a step back there is regret. I still saw a group that fought. who applied himself a lot in the defensive phase and who has clearly imprinted in his mind what the objective to be achieved is. This point, even with this daring epilogue, is another small step that we must not underestimate. Now there is the direct clash with Cagliari, from the next training session we will start from scratch, aware that attitude, attention and determination are weapons that the boys use even when someone does not offer their best performance on a technical level.”
Palladino’s words.
This is the comment of Raffaele Palladino, Monza coach, after the match: “It was the type of match I expected. Tough, hot, difficult pitch, against a charged opponent and with a fan base that pushed from the start. I felt I liked the team spirit. In the first half the balance prevailed, I saw a very tactical match to the point that only in the second half were there situations useful for scoring. Going behind in the 92nd minute could have been a great blow for the team guys, instead we believed in it until the end and we deservedly grabbed the draw. The penalty went back to last season, this time our captain went to the spot and confirmed that he is a guy with personality , but all the guys were good. Both those who started from the beginning and those who took over. Lecce wanted victory at all costs to get to safety, it’s an important point for us.”