Lecce beat Genoa to secure Serie A survival
Quick summary
Lecce secured Serie A safety with a 1-0 home win over Genoa on the final day. Lameck Banda scored early as Eusebio Di Francesco ended his recent relegation run and guided Lecce to another top-flight survival.
Full article
Attributed to original sourceLecce have secured survival following a 1-0 win over Genoa at the Stadio Via Del Mare on Sunday, avoiding the drop for the fourth season in a row, a new record for the club.
See how the match unfolded on the LIVEBLOG.
Lameck Banda opened the account after barely seven minutes: second-choice keeper Nicola Leali denied Walid Cheddira, but Banda got on the ball first to score on the rebound.
Lecce 1-0 Genoa: match report Banda had another chance later on, and this time Leali won the duel with a desperate save at the near post.
LECCE, ITALY – MAY 24: Lameck Banda of US Lecce during the Serie A match between US Lecce and Genoa CFC at Stadio Via del Mare on May 24, 2026 in Lecce, Italy. (Photo by Maurizio Lagana/Getty Images) Genoa had a goal disallowed five minutes before the break as Andrea Colombo was offside in the build-up, so Morten Frendrup’s goal didn’t count.
The duel between Banda and Leali continued, and the Genoa keeper once again emerged victorious at minute 44 with a spectacular save to push a curler out of the top corner.
Cheddira and Pierotti hit the post for Lecce after the break, while Genoa had chances with Stefano Sabelli and Patrizio Masini.
SASSUOLO, ITALY – MAY 17: Eusebio Di Francesco, Head Coach of US Lecce, looks on prior to the Serie A match between US Sassuolo Calcio and US Lecce at Mapei Stadium Citta del Tricolore on May 17, 2026 in Sassuolo, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images) Lecce and their fans naturally kept an eye on Cremonese-Como as well, with the crowd loudly celebrating every Como goal in Cremona.
Cesc Fabregas ‘ team was ahead by three goals and one man with ten minutes remaining, so celebrations inside the Lecce stadium began early, as Cremonese’s defeat would ensure Lecce’s survival, regardless of their result against Genoa.
After two consecutive Serie B relegations with Frosinone and Venezia, Di Francesco has finally secured survival, allowing Lecce to play their fifth consecutive Serie A season for the first time in their history.
24-05-2026 19:45
MatchDay 38
Stadio Ettore Giardiniero - Via del Mare
Lecce
Genoa
Live 1 - 0
Player statistic
1st half
Lameck Banda (Assist: Santiago Pierotti)
6'
Ylber Ramadani
45'
2nd half
Tiago Gabriel
76'
Lecce
Genoa
Starting lineups
30
Wladimiro Falcone Goalkeeper
25
Antonino Gallo Defender
17
Danilo Veiga Defender
5
Jamil Siebert Defender
44
Tiago Gabriel Defender
29
Lassana Coulibaly Midfielder
79
Oumar Ngom Midfielder
46'
20
Ylber Ramadani Midfielder
19
Lameck Banda Attacker
65'
50
Santiago Pierotti Attacker
80'
99
Walid Cheddira Attacker
80'
1
Nicola Leali Goalkeeper
3
Aarón Martín Defender
60'
27
Alessandro Marcandalli Defender
83'
13
Nils Zätterström Defender
34
Sebastian Otoa Defender
20
Stefano Sabelli Defender
60'
4
Amorim Midfielder
69'
32
Morten Frendrup Midfielder
73
Patrizio Masini Midfielder
83'
29
Lorenzo Colombo Attacker
77
Mikael Egill Ellertsson Attacker
Substitutes
14
Thórir Jóhann Helgason Midfielder
32
Jasper Samooja Goalkeeper
1
Christian Früchtl Goalkeeper
36
Filip Marchwinski Midfielder
4
Kialonda Gaspar Defender
22
Francesco Camarda Attacker
8
Sadik Fofana Defender
13
Matías Pérez Defender
3
Corrie Ndaba Defender
28
Olaf Gorter Midfielder
6
Álex Sala Midfielder
16
Omri Gandelman Midfielder
46'
11
Konan N’Dri Attacker
65'
18
Gaby Jean Defender
80'
9
Nikola Stulic Attacker
80'
22
Johan Vásquez Defender
39
Daniele Sommariva Goalkeeper
16
Justin Bijlow Goalkeeper
74
Mamedi Doucouré Defender
15
Brooke Norton-Cuffy Defender
60'
99
Latif Ouedraogo Defender
60'
80
Jacopo Grossi Midfielder
69'
75
Gaël Lafont Midfielder
83'
71
Filippo Carbone Midfielder
83'
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What happened
Lecce defeated Genoa 1-0 at the Via del Mare thanks to an early rebound goal from Lameck Banda. The result guaranteed survival and extended the club's stay in Serie A, marking a new record of consecutive seasons avoided relegation. Genoa had a Morten Frendrup goal ruled out for offside in the build-up and created chances, but Lecce also struck the post twice after the break. The win is notable for Eusebio Di Francesco, who had suffered back-to-back relegations with previous clubs before keeping Lecce up.
Chance analysis
This matters because relegation survival materially affects Lecce's squad planning, morale, and managerial stability heading into next season. For football models, the match reinforces Lecce's ability to deliver under high-pressure survival conditions, while Genoa's defeat looks more isolated than structurally damaging.
Lecce gain a clear positive boost from securing survival, while the immediate impact on Genoa is limited.
Treat this as a meaningful positive team-level signal for Lecce's resilience and short-term stability rather than a major standalone downgrade for Genoa.