Udinese-Lecce 1-0, Zemura decides with magic

After two defeats in a row, Udinese is back on track. Lecce folds at the end (1-0) with a masterful free kick from Zemura and moves to -3 behind leaders Napoli. A deserved success, also considering the two posts hit in the first half, against a team that continues to have a terrible struggle to score (just 3 goals despite 107 shots taken) and which has gone 456 minutes without scoring in Serie A (in Serie A they scored worse only in 1990 when he didn’t hit the target for 6 consecutive days, ndr).

«The match report»

Traversa di Kabasele, palo di Zarraga

Udinese immediately started strong, with a double opportunity following corner developments, first with Kabasele’s close-range shot rejected by Falcone, then with Lucca, who kicked out with his left foot. Intense start for Runjaic’s team, to which Lecce responds with good ball management. But Udinese came close to scoring again, again from a corner, again with Kabasele, who deflected the ball crossed by Brenner hitting the crossbar, while Zemura’s tap-in was imprecise on the rebound. The Friulians continue to grow, hitting the post in the 39th minute with Zarraga’s long-range shot, decisively deflected by Baschirotto but ending up in the hands of Falcone after hitting the upright. At the end of the half Lecce showed up, with Gallo’s powerful shot which ended wide to Okoye’s left.

Zemura decides on a free kick

In the second half, scoring opportunities struggled to arrive on both sides, with the two coaches thus trying to turn their sides around with some additions from the bench. The turning point of the match came in the 75th minute, with the free kick from the edge of the Lecce area taken very well by Zemura, which left Falcone immobile. The guests try to rush forward but are unable to create danger and in the end they are challenged by the many fans from Salento who have come all the way to Friuli.

UDINESE-LECCE 1-0 (0-0)
Udinese (3-5-2): Okoye 6; Kabasele 6, Bijol 6.5, Touré 6.5; Ehizibue 6 (22′ st Kamara 6), Zarraga 6 (33′ st Atta sv), Karlstorm 6, Ekkelenkamp 6.5, Zemura 7 (50′ st Abankwah sv); Brenner 5.5 (1′ st Davis 6), Lucca 5.5 (33′ st Bravo sv). On the bench: Sava, Padelli, Palma, Ebosse, Giannetti, Modesto. Coach: Runjaic.
Lecce (4-3-3): Falcone 6; Guilbert 6.5 (34′ st Oudin sv), Gaspar 6, Baschirotto 6, Gallo 6; Pierret 6 (18′ st Rafia 6), Ramadani 5.5 (34′ st Morente sv), Coulibaly 5.5; Rebic 5.5 (18′ st Pierotti 6), Krstovic 5.5, Dorgu 5.5. On the bench: Fruchtl, Samooja, Borbei, Pelmard, Sansone, Jean, McJannet, Marchwinski, Hasa. Coach: Gotti.
Referee: Mariani of Aprilia.
Net: 30′ st Zemura.
Warned: Ehizibue, Kamara, Rebic, Baschirotto.
Angles: 5-0.
Recovery: 1′, 4′.