Relegation-threatened Lecce and Spezia still in trouble after goalless stalemate
We are at the point of the season when either every point matters or none of them do, depending on where you sit in the table and, for both of these sides, it was very much the former.
While the hosts came into the game just two points ahead of the relegation zone after a run of one win in their previous 12 matches, their opponents were in an even worse state, level on points with 18th-placed Verona after prevailing only once in nine outings themselves.
As such, the opening half was a cagey affair, with the two teams desperate to give nothing away. There was barely anything to speak of in terms of shots at goal, with M’Bala Nzola’s well-hit effort that sailed comfortably wide of the post the only time either outfit threatened to break the deadlock.
Instead, a series of niggly fouls broke up the play throughout, contributing to a rather dour opening period in which the half-time whistle could not come quick enough.
Although a share of the spoils would be of no real benefit to either manager, Lecce’s Marco Baroni would certainly be the happier of the two.
As such, it was the hosts who enjoyed more possession, although clear-cut opportunities remained non-existent. Based on this display, it is hard to see how Spezia beat UEFA Champions League semi-finalists AC Milan 2-0 last time out, and, other than a Nzola header into the side netting with just under 15 minutes left on the clock, they never even remotely looked like finding a winner.
The same could be said for the hosts, however, and a quick glance at the table would show only two teams in the Italian top flight have found the back of the net on fewer occasions than these two outfits, who have 30 strikes apiece.
In the end, there were only two shots on target, as Lecce’s Gabriel Strefezza fired a relatively harmless effort straight at Bartlomiej Dragowski and Albin Ekdal forced Wladimiro Falcone into a save at the other end. Next weekend, the Giallorossi travel to high-flying AC Monza, while Spezia host mid-table Torino, and one can only hope that both sets of supporters are treated to a more entertaining afternoon.
Flashscore Man of the Match: M’Bala Nzola (Spezia)