MILAN: Udinese earned a tense 1-0 away win over Lecce on Friday, not so much for the battle with the hosts but for the controversy surrounding Lorenzo Lucca’s winning penalty, which infuriated his team-mates.

The game took a dramatic turn just after the half-hour mark when Udinese were awarded a penalty and although captain Florian Thauvin, who is normally the penalty taker, was due to convert, Lucca unexpectedly stepped up.

Ignoring the protests of his team-mates, including objections from Alexis Sanchez, Oumar Solet and Jaka Bijol, Lucca decided to take it even after Bijol attempted to stop him.

Lucca fired the ball past Lecce goalkeeper Wladimiro Falcone. His celebrations were short-lived, however, as Udinese coach Kosta Runjaic decided to replace him with Iker Bravo on 36 minutes.

The second half was no less controversial, with Lecce’s frustration mounting at refereeing decisions.

Martin Payero, who had already received a yellow card, narrowly avoided a second booking after a heated clash with Gaby Jean, in which there was minimal contact with the ball.

Payero almost doubled Udinese’s lead with a powerful shot that went just wide.

Udinese are tenth in the standings with 36 points, while Lecce are fifteenth with 25 points.

Published in Dawn, February 23rd, 2025