Lecce-Como 0-3, Salentini (booed) one step away from the abyss. The story of the match

Lecce, 19 April 2025 – The Como wins at Via del Mare 3-0 and achieves its third consecutive victory (it hasn't happened for 73 years) thus sealing the salvation speech. The situation is becoming increasingly complicated for Lecce (who left amid boos from the Giallorossi fans) who maintain only a two-point advantage over third-last Venezia, who will play tomorrow at Empoli. The final defeat is perhaps too punitive for Giampaolo's men who, despite leaving the initiative to Como, were dangerous on several occasions in the first half with Krstovic (whose 1-0 was disallowed for offside in the 7th minute), Morente and Helgason. Paid Errors at a very high price in the 33rd minute when Diao collected the perfect tracer of Nico Paz sprinting on the edge of offside and bagged the 1-0 at the end of the first half. Despite the disadvantage, the Giallorossi also for much of the second half had the strength to play openly in search of a draw that never came because Como, sly, between the 84th and 91st minute he was able to land the final knockout blows with the goal of Goldaniga, author of a header from a free kick taken by Da Cunha, and the second goal of the day by Diao, good at capitalising on Strefezza's perfect assist.  

Diao gives the Lariani the lead after half an hour

As expected, Como immediately tried to take control of the match with a tight exchange of passes and Lecce waited and tried to play on the counterattack. From a recovery of the ball in the three-quarter line, after just 2', the first opportunity for the Giallorossi was created by Krstovic, who tried from an inviting position but without causing any major problems for Butez. The fuse that lit the fireworks of a first half full of emotions. It only took two more turns of the clock to see the guests' reply, signed by Nico Paz who, on the developments of a scheme born from a corner kick, received the ball with his back heel from Da Cunha and unleashed a left-footed curling shot from the right three-quarter line that Falcone took out of the top corner with a great save. Lecce, while leaving possession of the ball to Fabregas' men, certainly did not sit back and watch and in the 7th minute he unlocks the situation with Gallo's through ball to Krstovic who scores the ball but does so after starting from an offside position. A rather decisive call, which puts the Como defense and Butez himself on guard, who however responds clearly by defusing the close and to say the least poisonous attempts of Morente and Helgason who, between the 16th and 17th minute, come close to giving the Giallorossi the lead. The guests, however, have the strength to dampen Lecce's impetus of energy by regaining control of the ball and, shortly after the half hour mark, they show up again near Falcone with Douvikas who opens the plate sending the ball out just a few centimeters from the post. Signs of the advantage for Laria that comes just a minute later and is born from the great intuition of a sumptuous Paz per Diao, who sprints on the edge of offside and beats Falcone. In order to celebrate, however, the Como players had to wait a few minutes and a very careful VAR check after the Spanish striker was initially identified as being offside. This was the turning point in the initial 45 minutes that ended with Lecce throwing themselves forward again without success, but also with a few moments of tension that led to the warnings of Ikone and Krstovic (already cautioned, he will miss the next match against Atalanta).

Goldaniga and Diao close the accounts again

After the break Giampaolo decides to remove Coulibaly – already burdened by a yellow card – and insert Berisha, while Fabregas, forced to replace the injured Valle at the end of the first half, keeps his chessboard unchanged and Como tries to restart with initiative. In contrast to what happened in the first half, however, at the start the game is played at a slower pace and the real emotions seem to be lacking at least until the 61st minute, when Morente tries with a dart that Butez disarms with some difficulty by deflecting the ball into a corner. The Salento team lights up, increases the pressure on Como and three minutes later unleashes their protests for a contact on the edge of the area between Kempf and Krstovic, which is reviewed by the VAR and does not lead to further consequences other than a bit of tension between the players. So we start again with nothing done but with the entrances on the field on one side of the ex of the day Strefezza and on the other of Banda, who are added to those of Berisha and N'Dri, who in the 70th minute misses the equaliser with a nice personal incursion into the area, which ends with a violent left-footed shot that Butez lifts into a corner. Como has the great strength to resist and 6' from the end, the score is doubled thanks to a winning header from Goldaniga, who was good at collecting the brush stroke from a free kick by Da Cunha. In full final recovery, then, there is also space for Diao's brace, relentless in capitalising on Strefezza's perfect assist. The scoreboard: Lecce (4-2-3-1): Falcon; Veiga, Baschirotto, Gaspar, Gallo; Coulibaly (from 45' Berisha), Ramadani (from 79' Rebic); Pierotti (from 54' N'Dri), Helgason (from 54' Pierret), Morente (from 68' Banda); Krstovic. All. Giampaolo. Como (4-2-3-1): Butez; Vojvoda, Goldaniga, Kempf, Valle (from 44' Valle); Da Cunha, Perrone (from 82' Engelhardt); Ikoné (from 68' Strefezza), Nico Paz (from 82' Caqueret), Diao; Douvikas (from 82' Gabrielloni). All. Fabregas. Scorers: Diao (Como 33' and 90'+1'), Goldaniga (Como 84') Note - Yellow cards: Coulibaly (Lecce), Valle (Como), Ikoné (Como), Krstovic (Lecce), Goldaniga (Como), Perrone (Como), Berisha (Lecce).