Serie A: Udinese loses back-to-back, Lecce Sassuolo draws

Empoli and Udinese’s difficult start to the 2023/24 Serie A season continued as neither team was able to secure three valuable points. Hosts Empoli had the better of the possession but failed to capitalize on their scoring chances, while visitors Udinese wasted good chances in front of goal as well. In the late game, Lecce rallied from 0-1 down to draw 1-1 with Sassuolo.

The result extended Udinese’s winless streak to eight games, although they have drawn five.
Empoli travel to Fiorentina next, while Udinese welcome Lecce.
In the late game, Lecce recovered from going a goal behind to earn a point in what was a feisty clash as the hosts welcomed Sassuolo to the Stadio Comunale Via del Mare.
After a promising start to the campaign that featured three wins and two draws, the home side came into this clash looking to halt a run of two straight defeats to Juventus and Napoli.
However, Roberto D’Aversa’s Lecce were on the backfoot early as Sassuolo snatched the initiative. Uros Racic had a great chance to open the scoring in the 18th minute when it looked like he had the goal at his mercy, only for Marin Pongracic to make an incredible block.
But the visitors eventually got their just rewards when Federico Baschirotto was – perhaps harshly – adjudged to have handled the ball in the Lecce box. Up stepped Domenico Berardi, who made no mistake from the spot to put Sassuolo ahead in the 22nd minute.

It was a frantic opening 45 minutes and Lecce eventually found their rhythm and pushed for an equaliser. Nikola Krstovic hit the post in the 39th minute before Andrea Consigli was forced into a good save by Valentin Gendrey.
Tempers flared towards the end of the half and Consigli was called into action again, this time to deny Pontus Almqvist, who fizzed a low shot that was heading in at the near post.
Lecce did get their equaliser less than three minutes into the second half. It was an out-swinging corner that was the undoing of Sassuolo as Krstovic controlled the ball exquisitely from a knockdown header and calmly found the bottom corner to regain parity at 1-1.

Despite both teams aggressively searching for a win, it ended in a 1-1 draw. Lecce stayed in seventh place in the table with the draw, while Sassuolo moved up to ninth.