Serie A | Lecce 2-2 Parma: Self-destruction to fumble lead in stoppages

Lecce committed calcio self-destruction tonight by fumbling a 2-0 lead during stoppages against Parma, in a chaotic match with both teams down to 10 men.

The hosts had stabilised their campaign by beating Cagliari and holding Torino, but Medon Berisha joined Nicola Sansone, Joan Gonzalez and Mohamed Kaba on the treatment table, with Patrick Dorgu back from suspension. The Ducali had started so strong, but lost back-to-back games against Napoli and Udinese, both by fumbling leads. Mandela Keita sat out a ban, with Nahuel Estevez, Emanuele Valeri, Mateusz Kowalski, Adrian Benedyczak and Gabriele Charpentier injured.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

Nikola Krstovic and Ante Rebic finishing let them down, while Wladimiro Falcone got one glove to the Valentin Mihaila daisy-cutter and parried the Bonny effort from close range at the near post.

Dorgu made his return count, as he surprised Woyo Coulibaly by running on to the Ylber Ramadani through ball and beating Zion Suzuki one-on-one.

Parma also lost Simon Sohm to a bruised hip and Dennis Man’s angled drive tested Falcone after a give and go with Enrico Delprato.

The second half started with a shock, as Lecce defender Frederic Guilbert slapped Matteo Cancellieri in an off the ball incident, which was spotted by the referee for a straight red card.

Valentin Mihaila’s free kick flew over and a Hernani set play was deflected off target, but just as Parma were pouring forward, Dorgu sprinted away on the counter and was brought down just outside the box by Cancellieri for another red card.

Lecce then scored from that free kick, as the ferocious Krstovic effort took a deflection off Woyo Coulibaly to wrong-foot Suzuki.

Parma kept pushing, as Man stung Falcone’s gloves and Ange Yoan Bonny curled the rebound just wide. Falcone used his legs to parry the Anas Haj Mohamed effort from close range and denied Man again, while Banda on the counter drilled wide of the near post.

Falcone made another desperate one-handed save on Bonny following a corner and Lecce wasted a couple of promising counter-attacks, the worst of them with Krstovic one-on-one with Suzuki.

Moments later, Parma got a goal back when Anas Haj Mohamed had his shot charged down and Pontus Almqvist drilled in the rebound from 12 yards. The midfielder refused to celebrate against his former club.

Krstovic had time to waste another counter-attack and was made to pay, because after a corner was not cleared effectively, teenager Haj Mohamed floated a ball to the back post for the fantastic Antoine Hainaut diving header with almost the last kick of the game.

Lecce 2-2 Parma

Dorgu 32 (L), Krstovic 59 (L), Almqvist 93 (P), Hainaut 95 (P)

Sent off: Guilbert 47 (L), Cancellieri 58 (P)

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