Eusebio Di Francesco, the coach of Lecce, revealed that his team had been explicitly warned about Juventus’ propensity for quick kick-off routines. Despite this, Lecce was still caught off guard, conceding a goal within the first 12 seconds to a strike from Dusan Vlahovic.
The match began disastrously for the home team at the Stadio Via del Mare, with Vlahovic finding the net almost immediately. Lecce also saw two further goals disallowed for offside, one for Vlahovic and another for Pierre Kalulu. Goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio was kept busy, facing shots from Santiago Pierotti and Walid Cheddira.
Di Francesco’s Pre-Match Warning
“I showed the team Juve’s kick-off routine three times this morning,” Di Francesco stated to Sky Sport Italia. “I told them we had to be prepared to defend with determination right from the start, and then they scored after 11 seconds.”
Despite the early setback, Di Francesco acknowledged the quality of the Juventus squad. “This is a Juventus side with a lot of quality,” he continued. “We managed to stay in the game and create some scoring opportunities of our own, and kept it quite a tight match.”
The Lecce players were applauded by their home supporters at the final whistle, a testament to their effort and the challenges they posed to a Juventus team vying for a top-four spot. Di Francesco defended the disallowed goals, explaining, “They had two goals disallowed, but it’s because they were offside and therefore invalid.”
He emphasized the team’s fighting spirit: “This team has a certain DNA; it believes it can compete with everyone when playing in a certain way. We could’ve been sharper with the final ball and the cross, that could’ve allowed us to create more chances.”
Di Francesco also discussed tactical adjustments. “We played with a trequartista at times, but tonight it was more of a 4-3-3 trying to prevent them making those passes between the lines with players like Kelly and Cambiaso. We had to deal with those situations, I changed a few things too, because if we tried to close them up, they would get around us on the flanks.”
Regarding second-half changes, he added, “In the second half, I put Banda closer to the centre-forward to stop their defenders starting the play out from the back. I think it did allow us to do better, even if we were unable to equalise.”
The coach reflected on the overall game: “Both teams wanted to win at all costs. Obviously, Juventus has more quality, but with the goal advantage, they were more comfortable. We had that big chance to equalise straight away after the Vlahovic goal; it was a stunning Di Gregorio save.” He concluded, “If we had equalised later, it would’ve been good too, as it can even create the momentum to go on and win in the final 15 minutes.”
Lecce now faces a tense battle to avoid relegation. They risk seeing their lead over Cremonese and the relegation zone shrink to just one point if Cremonese secures a victory in their upcoming match. Lecce’s remaining fixtures are against Sassuolo away and Genoa at home, both challenging encounters.
“Whoever we’re up against, we need points,” Di Francesco confessed. “Sassuolo is an important club for me, obviously, that will be potentially a decisive match.”