Lecce 3-2 Monza — a five-goal thriller at the Stadio Via del Mare ended with the hosts taking all three points on Sunday night, as Lecce edged past Monza in a Serie A contest that swung one way, then the other, before settling in the home side's favour.

Match Overview

• Competition: Italian Serie A
• Fixture: Lecce vs Monza
• Venue: Stadio Via del Mare, Lecce
• Kick-off: 21:00, 13 September 2026
• Final score: Lecce 3-2 Monza

How the Game Unfolded

Lecce started with the urgency of a side determined to make home advantage count, pressing high and forcing Monza into hurried clearances from the opening minutes. The breakthrough arrived on 17 minutes when Nikola Krstović peeled away from his marker at the near post and glanced a header inside the far corner, sending the Curva Sud into raptures.

Monza responded with a spell of patient possession, but the Giallorossi doubled their lead against the run of play on 34 minutes. Lameck Banda collected the ball on the left, cut inside onto his right foot and curled a low effort beyond the goalkeeper to make it 2-0 — a goal that felt like it might already settle the contest.

It did not. Monza halved the deficit seven minutes after the restart when Dany Mota latched onto a loose ball in the box and slotted home from close range, and for a 15-minute period the visitors looked the more likely scorers. Lecce steadied themselves, though, and Krstović restored the two-goal cushion on 68 minutes, finishing calmly after a quick turnover in midfield.

Monza were not finished. Gianluca Caprari struck a superb consolation deep into stoppage time, sparking a frantic final sequence of corners and long throws, but Lecce's back line held firm through five minutes of added time to secure the win.

Key Moments

• 17' — Krstović heads Lecce in front from a whipped cross.
• 34' — Banda's curling strike makes it 2-0.
• 52' — Dany Mota pulls one back for Monza.
• 68' — Krstović's second goal restores Lecce's cushion.
• 90+3' — Caprari sets up a tense finale with a fine individual goal.

Tactical Story

Lecce set up in a compact 4-3-3 and looked to spring forward quickly through the wide areas, with Banda and the overlapping full-backs providing constant width. Their midfield trio pressed aggressively in the first half, cutting off Monza's attempts to play through the middle and forcing the visitors into long, low-percentage passes.

Monza's manager switched to a back three shortly after the interval, pushing an extra body into midfield and asking the wing-backs to stretch Lecce's defensive line. The change worked for a while — Monza's goal came from exactly that kind of overload — but it also left space in behind, which Lecce exploited ruthlessly for their third goal on the counter.

Standout Players

Krstović was the obvious headline-maker with his brace, combining sharp movement in the box with clinical finishing. Banda's direct running gave the Monza defence problems all evening, while Lecce's goalkeeper produced two important stops at 2-1 to keep the hosts ahead. For Monza, Dany Mota and Caprari were the brightest sparks in an otherwise frustrating night, with Caprari's late goal a reminder of the quality still available to the visitors.

What It Means

Three points lifts Lecce into a healthier position in the early Serie A standings and extends their encouraging home record at the Via del Mare for the 2026-27 season. For Monza, the defeat is a frustrating one: they scored twice away from home and still left empty-handed, a pattern they will need to correct quickly if they are to climb away from the lower reaches of the table. Lecce's next fixture gives them a chance to build momentum, while Monza return home looking for a response in front of their own supporters.