Banda opens, then the rossoblù overtakes with Arnautovic and Zirkzee. In the final a great left foot by Oudin equals the draw, but in the recovery the winning escape of the Scotsman takes place
A historic salvation to celebrate with your fans, an entire stadium colored yellow and red for the occasion. The final result, however, seems like a twist of fate: Lecce lost the last match of the season 3-2. He does it at home, against Bologna, for a goal by Lewis Ferguson in the 97th minute. The Scotsman scored his seventh league goal under the eyes of Pantaleo Corvino, who had put him in his sights last summer but was then unable to beat the Rossoblù’s competition.
Yellow and red party
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There are almost 26,000 spectators in the stands, who flocked to the Via del Mare to pay homage to Hjulmand and his companions. Even Al Bano and the Oscar-winning actress Helen Mirren, ambassadors of Salento in the world, can be glimpsed in the vip gallery. Lecce and Bologna challenge each other openly, with the lightheartedness of those who have already achieved their goals. The Salento players aim to finish with a bang in front of their people, while the rossoblùs, having lost their dream of eighth place, aim to obtain a record-breaking score in Serie A. All the top players are on the pitch. Baroni lined up from 1′ Colombo, author of the saving goal in Monza. Thiago Motta, on the other hand, relies on Orsolini and Barrow on the sides of Arnautovic. Standing ovation for Samuel Umtiti, welcomed with cheers and applause as he entered the field and then again in the final, when Baroni replaced him to grant him a catwalk of honour.
Band, goals and ballet
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In the opening minutes, Lecce makes the match: Strefezza, Banda and Oudin press high, while the full-backs push insistently into the opposing half. The 1-0 goal comes in the 17th minute. Gendrey verticalizes for Strefezza (now platinum blond, like Falcone, due to a lost bet with his trusted barber) and the Brazilian crosses in tow for Banda, who volleys and beats Skoruspki. The 22-year-old dances with Baschirotto and dedicates the goal to his grandmother, who passed away in February. Bologna’s reaction was immediate: three minutes later Arnautovic equalized the score, but the Var intervened and signaled Orsolini’s previous offside. At half-time the score was still 1-0: on the one hand the rossoblùs risked something due to Lucumì’s oversights, on the other Falcone was good at locking up the goal on a double attempt by Orsolini.
The Ferguson hoax
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The pace does not drop in the second fraction. Baroni inserts Ceesay and Maleh and continues to push, but Bologna have expert players and, at the first goal opportunity, equalize the score. In the 58th minute Barrow crosses in the middle for Arnautovic: the Austrian stands taller than Hjulmand and signs the 1-1. Umtiti does not take it well, furious with the fourth official, who a few seconds before the goal had prevented the Frenchman, out for a short pit stop with the medical staff, from returning to the field. The usual Strefezza tries to lead the Giallorossi to attack the opposing area, but in the 80th minute Bologna scores again, with a goal scored by two new entrants. Pyyhtia receives the ball in the middle of the field and serves centrally Zirkzee, who gets rid of Baschirotto and mocks Falcone. Lecce doesn’t give up: at the end of the match a party is scheduled at the stadium and Baroni’s team wants to give its fans a positive result. Oudin takes care of restoring the balance, in the 88th minute, with another magic: Maleh’s cross and the Frenchman’s volley. finished? Not at all. Blin devours, face to face with Skorupski, the chance to make it 3-2, and Bologna takes home the three points in the 97th minute. Moro attacks in the central streets and widens on the left for Ferguson, who kicks with his right foot and gives another victory to the rossoblùs. Bologna finished ninth, the best result of the Saputo era, while the 54 points surpass Pioli’s 51 in 2012.
June 4, 2023 (change June 4, 2023 | 23:25)
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