Davide Massa has been assigned to the Como vs. Roma Serie A fight for fourth place, while Gianluca Manganiello gets Inter-Atalanta, but Daniele Doveri drops to Serie B after the Derby della Madonnina.

The AIA (Italian Referees Association) has confirmed the referees chosen for this weekend’s Serie A matches.

The biggest game of the round is arguably the showdown for Champions League qualification, as Como and Roma are locked together in the table and go head-to-head at the Stadio Sinigaglia on Sunday.

That has been handed to experienced official Massa.

Leaders Inter try to get back on track against Atalanta, which will be officiated by Gianluca Manganiello in another top seven duel.

Notably, there is no Serie A fixture this weekend for Doveri after his work in the Derby della Madonnina, but this does not mean it is a demotion.

Instead, he is trusted with the extremely difficult and important Serie B promotion clash between Monza and Palermo, which could prove decisive for who gets to be in the top flight next season.

Serie A Week 29 referees

Torino vs. Parma (Maresca, VAR Ghersini)

Inter vs. Atalanta (Manganiello, VAR Gariglio)

Napoli vs. Lecce (Abisso, VAR Nasca)

Udinese vs. Juventus (Mariani, VAR Maggioni)

Verona vs. Genoa (Marchetti, VAR Marini)

Pisa vs. Cagliari (La Penna, VAR Paterna)

Sassuolo vs. Bologna (Bonacina, VAR Serra)

Como vs. Roma (Massa, VAR Fabbri)

Lazio vs. Milan (Guida, VAR Chiffi)

Cremonese vs. Fiorentina (Di Bello, VAR Aureliano)

Cremonese director of sport Simone Giacchetta was raging after the controversial finale of their 2-1 defeat to Lecce. ‘We feel damaged and disrespected’ by referees and VAR.

The Seahorses had been trailing 2-0 at the Stadio Via del Mare, but got back into it and pushed hard to the final whistle for an equaliser.

They had the ball in the net only for it to be disallowed for a handling offence, then there were penalty appeals waved away as Antonio Sanabria went down under a Gaby Jean challenge.

Cremonese vent fury after VAR non-call

“I am not here to comment on the match, but to clarify our position on the incident that compromised the game,” Giacchetta told DAZN Italia.

“For us, a team fighting for our Serie A safety, moments like this can decide the entire season.”

Although there was some contact between Jean and Sanabria, it was considered insufficient by VAR and the referee to warrant an On-Field Review or penalty.

“This is the second time I have had to intervene in the media, after an evident handling offence at the 95th minute from Simeone of Torino, which cost us an important point. Today, again at the 95th minute, Sanabria received decisive contact on his right foot,” continued the Cremonese director.

“These are the things that ruin the game, and indeed you heard there was suddenly a deathly silence in the stadium. It is a situation that penalises us.”

This adds to the recent controversy about when and how VAR ought to intervene in Serie A, as there are different definitions of ‘clear and obvious error’ even within the same match.

“I don’t want to hear that the referee didn’t see it. I am here to complain that VAR did not intervene, seeing as they like to get involved for the tiniest details just to prove how important they are, and yet do nothing in a situation like this.

“We feel damaged and disrespected by this. There was confusion after the final whistle, the referee didn’t give us any explanation.

“We feel deprived of justice and respect. It was a penalty that should’ve been given on the field, but at the very least by VAR,” continued the Cremonese chief.

“These matches leave scars and today it also ended up penalising us further with a red card after the final whistle. VAR could’ve avoided all of that, especially after intervening to get our goal disallowed for Martin Payero.”

This result means Cremonese are in the bottom three and risk falling behind the clubs higher up the table.

Davide Nicola’s squad have scraped only five wins, nine draws and 14 defeats in Serie A this season, but their recent form has been simply disastrous.

Lecce secured a massive 2-1 win over Cremonese on Sunday, moving three points above the relegation zone.

Santiago Pierotti and Nikola Stulic’s goals allowed Lecce to take all three points in a home Serie A match against direct rivals Cremonese on Sunday, putting three points between them and the Grigiorossi in the Serie A table.

Goalkeeper Wladimiro Falcone also had a big role in Lecce’s crucial victory.

Lecce 2-1 Cremonese match report

Cremonese’s Morten Thorsby had the first chance in the game, but sent his header wide.

Just a few minutes later, Pierotti scored his first goal this season, making the most of Antonino Gallo’s corner kick from the right and Emil Audero’s poor decision to come out.

The home side didn’t take long to double their lead. Matteo Bianchetti deflected Stulic’s shot with his right arm, which was placed in an unnatural position. Referee Simone Sozza initially gave a corner kick, but was then urged to the pitchside monitor to review the incident, which led to a penalty kick for the Giallorossi.

Stulic took the penalty and sent Audero the opposite way to double Lecce’s lead.

The Giallorossi dominated in the first half, leaving little chance to score for Cremonese, who also had to deal with an injury to Jamie Vardy, who picked up a knock and was forced to be subbed off during the break.

It was, however, a blessing in disguise for the Lombardy-based club as Vardy’s replacement, Milan Djuric, immediately contributed to Cremonese’s goal.

The ex-Salernitana star used his body to take position at the edge of the box and provide a headed assist for Bonazzoli, who made a late run and beat Falcone at the far post with his first goal since the reverse fixture on December 7.

Djuric continued to make his presence felt inside the box and had a chance to score with an overhead kick saved by Wladimiro Falcone.

Spaces opened up for Lecce on the counterattack, and despite Lameck Banda’s pace down the left, the Giallorossi failed to create many goal-scoring opportunities.

On the other end, Cremonese mostly relied on long balls for Djuric to cause trouble for the home side.

Emil Audero partially redeemed himself with a save from Ylber Ramadani’s shot from distance.

Cremonese midfielder Martin Payero accidentally sent the ball inside the net with his right arm in the dying minutes. The referee initially confirmed the goal, but a silent VAR check quickly, and rightly, disallowed it.

Payero had another massive chance to level the score in stoppage time, but Falcone produced an impressive intervention from point-blank range.

Tension skyrocketed in the final minute as Cremonese demanded a penalty kick for a possible Gaby Jean foul on Antonio Sanabria, who was clear in front of Falcone after another header won by Djuric and a fortunate bounce at the edge of the box.

Referee Sozza, however, waved to play on, and VAR confirmed his decision, sparking Lecce’s celebrations.

08-03-2026 11:30

MatchDay 28

Stadio Ettore Giardiniero - Via del Mare

Lecce

Cremonese

2 - 1

Player statistic

1st half

Santiago Pierotti (Assist: Antonino Gallo)		22'
Nikola Stulic		38'
		44'		Matteo Bianchetti
Jamil Siebert		45+4'

2nd half

		47'		Federico Bonazzoli (Assist: Milan Djuric)
		53'		Milan Djuric
		90+7'		Sebastiano Luperto

Match statistic

41

Possession %

59

9

Total shots

10

3

Shots on target

5

3

Shots off target

3

3

Blocked shots

2

4

Corners

4

3

Offsides

1

19

Fouls

28

Lecce

Cremonese

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

89'

79

Oumar Ngom

Midfielder

20

Ylber Ramadani

Midfielder

19

Lameck Banda

Attacker

78'

9

Nikola Stulic

Attacker

66'

50

Santiago Pierotti

Attacker

79'

1

Emil Audero

Goalkeeper

55

Francesco Folino

Defender

3

Giuseppe Pezzella

Defender

74'

15

Matteo Bianchetti

Defender

46'

5

Sebastiano Luperto

Defender

4

Tommaso Barbieri

Defender

27

Jari Vandeputte

Midfielder

46'

2

Morten Thorsby

Midfielder

62'

29

Youssef Maleh

Midfielder

90

Federico Bonazzoli

Attacker

10

Jamie Vardy

Attacker

46'

Substitutes

23

Riccardo Sottil

Attacker

14

Thórir Jóhann Helgason

Midfielder

32

Jasper Samooja

Goalkeeper

1

Christian Früchtl

Goalkeeper

36

Filip Marchwinski

Midfielder

11

Konan N’Dri

Attacker

13

Matías Pérez

Defender

3

Corrie Ndaba

Defender

6

Álex Sala

Midfielder

99

Walid Cheddira

Attacker

66'

16

Omri Gandelman

Midfielder

78'

18

Gaby Jean

Defender

79'

8

Sadik Fofana

Defender

89'

69

Lapo Nava

Goalkeeper

16

Marco Silvestri

Goalkeeper

33

Alberto Grassi

Midfielder

23

Federico Ceccherini

Defender

38

Warren Bondo

Midfielder

22

Romano Floriani Mussolini

Defender

30

Mika Faye

Defender

9

Milan Djuric

Attacker

46'

7

Alessio Zerbin

Attacker

46'

32

Martín Payero

Midfielder

46'

77

David Okereke

Attacker

62'

99

Antonio Sanabria

Attacker

74'

Lecce look to Nikola Stulic in a crucial Serie A match against Jamie Vardy’s Cremonese.

It kicks off at 12:30 CET (11:30 GMT) at the Stadio Via del Mare.

It promises to be a dramatic match in the race for survival, with the two sides level on 24 points, alongside Fiorentina.

Technically, Lecce are in the relegation zone, but only by goal difference.

The Giallorossi, however, have earned six points in the last five matches, while Cremonese only grabbed one in the same period.

The Grigiorossi seemed safe just a few weeks ago, but they have been winless since the reverse fixture on December 7 and have scored only one goal in the last eight games.

Medon Berisha, Francesco Camarda, Olaf Gorter and Kialonda Gaspar are unavailable for Lecce, while Cremonese have travelled south without the injured Michele Collocolo, Federico Baschirotto, Faris Moumbagna and the suspended Filippo Terracciano.

Lecce and Cremonese‘s rival Fiorentina play later today at 15:00 CET, hosting Parma at the Stadio Franchi.

Lecce vs. Cremonese – confirmed line-ups

Lecce (4-2-3-1): Falcone; Danilo Veiga, Siebert, Tiago Gabriel, Gallo; Coulibaly, Ramadani; Pierotti, Ngom, Banda; Stulic.

Cremonese (3-5-2): Audero; Bianchetti, Luperto, Folino; Barbieri, Maleh, Thorsby, Vandeputte, Pezzella; Vardy, Bonazzoli. 

Lecce vs. Cremonese – live updates

08-03-2026 11:30

MatchDay 28

Stadio Ettore Giardiniero - Via del Mare

Lecce

Cremonese

2 - 1

Player statistic

1st half

Santiago Pierotti (Assist: Antonino Gallo)		22'
Nikola Stulic		38'
		44'		Matteo Bianchetti
Jamil Siebert		45+4'

2nd half

		47'		Federico Bonazzoli (Assist: Milan Djuric)
		53'		Milan Djuric
		90+7'		Sebastiano Luperto

Match statistic

41

Possession %

59

9

Total shots

10

3

Shots on target

5

3

Shots off target

3

3

Blocked shots

2

4

Corners

4

3

Offsides

1

19

Fouls

28

Lecce

Cremonese

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

89'

79

Oumar Ngom

Midfielder

20

Ylber Ramadani

Midfielder

19

Lameck Banda

Attacker

78'

9

Nikola Stulic

Attacker

66'

50

Santiago Pierotti

Attacker

79'

1

Emil Audero

Goalkeeper

55

Francesco Folino

Defender

3

Giuseppe Pezzella

Defender

74'

15

Matteo Bianchetti

Defender

46'

5

Sebastiano Luperto

Defender

4

Tommaso Barbieri

Defender

27

Jari Vandeputte

Midfielder

46'

2

Morten Thorsby

Midfielder

62'

29

Youssef Maleh

Midfielder

90

Federico Bonazzoli

Attacker

10

Jamie Vardy

Attacker

46'

Substitutes

23

Riccardo Sottil

Attacker

14

Thórir Jóhann Helgason

Midfielder

32

Jasper Samooja

Goalkeeper

1

Christian Früchtl

Goalkeeper

36

Filip Marchwinski

Midfielder

11

Konan N’Dri

Attacker

13

Matías Pérez

Defender

3

Corrie Ndaba

Defender

6

Álex Sala

Midfielder

99

Walid Cheddira

Attacker

66'

16

Omri Gandelman

Midfielder

78'

18

Gaby Jean

Defender

79'

8

Sadik Fofana

Defender

89'

69

Lapo Nava

Goalkeeper

16

Marco Silvestri

Goalkeeper

33

Alberto Grassi

Midfielder

23

Federico Ceccherini

Defender

38

Warren Bondo

Midfielder

22

Romano Floriani Mussolini

Defender

30

Mika Faye

Defender

9

Milan Djuric

Attacker

46'

7

Alessio Zerbin

Attacker

46'

32

Martín Payero

Midfielder

46'

77

David Okereke

Attacker

62'

99

Antonio Sanabria

Attacker

74'

Como coach Cesc Fabregas and former Italy star Giuseppe Rossi urged fans around Serie A to stop jeering Alessandro Bastoni after the simulation controversy. ‘On the field, you do anything to win.’

The Inter defender was roundly criticised in the media after an obvious simulation got Pierre Kalulu sent off during their win over Juventus, and because it was a second yellow card, VAR could not intervene.

The incident was so controversial that it prompted IFAB to change the protocol from the World Cup this summer, allowing VAR to correct a clear and obvious error if a player is sent off for a second bookable offence.

Although Bastoni later apologised in public, he has not been forgiven, with loud jeers at his every touch in the games against Lecce and Como.

Bastoni still being jeered by other fans

“I don’t know him, but I think he is a top player and a great lad,” said Como coach Fabregas in a press conference after last night’s Coppa Italia semi-final.

“He has to be the future captain of the Italy squad, he is fundamental, and we must protect him. He got it wrong that day, certainly, it can happen to players, it happened to me too, as I made a mistake at San Siro.

“You apologise and you move forward. He is intelligent and he’ll get out of this.”

Support for Bastoni also came from former Italy, Fiorentina and Manchester United striker Rossi, who commented on the situation when speaking to The Italian Football Podcast.

“Listen, on the field you do anything to win. And if Bastoni thought that was the thing to do, then for him it was the thing to do,” noted Rossi.

. @GiuseppeRossi22 On Bastoni Azzurri Ban Talk  

full interview: https://t.co/VdkyqZc4f4 pic.twitter.com/DgUobKEFw0

— The Italian Football Podcast (@ItaFootPod) March 4, 2026

“It worked. They were able to have one guy more [on the pitch]. And ultimately win the game. Can you fault him? No. Do I like it? No I hate that type of stuff. But can you fault him? No, you can’t fault him. Unfortunately, it’s all part of the game. I fault the VAR and I fault whatever these damn rules regarding the VAR.”

The jeers from the fans of other clubs also follow appeals to have Bastoni excluded from international duty in the upcoming World Cup play-offs.

“And all this, saying that he not going to on the national team is BS. Everybody does something that’s on the limits of the rules in order to gain an advantage,” added Rossi.

“If that’s the case him not going on the national team, then we have no national team.”

Pisa and Verona look doomed to relegation from Serie A, but it’s wide open for the third slot, as Fiorentina, Cremonese, Lecce and Genoa are crammed into a three-point radius.

The Week 27 fixtures were completed this evening and the results have a big knock-on effect for the fight to avoid relegation.

Serie A has three spots going down out of 20, and it will take a miracle now for Pisa and Hellas Verona to avoid the slide into Serie B.

They are stuck together on just 15 points out of 27 rounds, already nine adrift of the others in this race.

Torino’s win over Lazio might’ve done enough to keep them out of the running, leaving only Genoa on 27 points, then Fiorentina, Cremonese and Lecce all crammed together on 24.

The Viola had broken clear in recent weeks, but are now back in the quagmire, out of the bottom three purely on goal difference.

If two teams are tied at the end of the season for relegation, then they will face off in a specially arranged play-off.

If three or more sides have the same points, then a mini-table is drawn up of their head-to-head results, with the bottom two going into the play-off.

Serie A Table

Legendary former referee Pierluigi Collina has had his say on a number of upcoming VAR and refereeing changes that are expected to come into effect in time for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America: ‘The goal is to eliminate timewasting as much as possible’. 

Collina explains upcoming VAR and refereeing changes

Collina is a member of the UEFA Referees Committee and is Chair of the FIFA Referees Committee. He was in attendance for the annual general meeting of the International Football Association Board (IFAB) in Wales on Saturday. 

The IFAB is responsible for overseeing and determining the laws of the game. Its members met in Wales on Saturday to discuss and decide upon a number of changes, including new measures to combat timewasting and allowing VAR to intervene on second yellow card decisions instead of just for straight red card incidents. 

“The goal is to eliminate, or to eliminate as much as possible, timewasting that hinders the spectacle of the game,” Collina told La Gazzetta dello Sport about the upcoming changes that were decided upon on Saturday. 

“Last year we introduced the ‘eight second rule’ for goalkeepers, which has been a great success. There have been very few cases where a corner has been granted. The deterrent has worked.

“Considering the amount of time that is lost through so many goal-kicks and free-kicks, we thought we needed to find a solution.” 

Another rule that will be introduced at the FIFA World Cup is a 10-second limit for players to leave the field after a substitution has been called. If players fail to leave the pitch within the allocated 10 seconds, the replacement substitute will not be permitted to enter until the next stoppage in play, or until one minute of action has passed. 

“We already did something, making substitutes leave the pitch from the nearest point. The time limit is a more effective deterrent than the yellow card, which is sometimes seen as some sort of ‘deal’,” Collina said. ”The results in recent years in MLS show that this measure works,” he added. 

Importantly, VAR will now be able to intervene on second yellow card decisions, which had not previously been the case. 

Just two weeks ago in Serie A, Pierre Kalulu was incorrectly sent off for a second bookable offence in one of the biggest matches of the season, the Derby d’Italia between Inter and Juventus, but the referee Federico La Penna was unable to refer the incident for review as it was not a straight red card incident. This will no longer be the case. 

Some might argue that it should always have been the case that VAR is able to intervene on second yellow card offences and not just for straight red card incidents. 

“When we decided on the VAR trial in 2016, the technology was very different,” Collina explained. “The protocol was written from scratch and took inspiration from other sports, such as rugby, and video officials had no prior experience. Today, the situation is very different. 

“We’ve been discussing it for a few years and unfortunately until now, some had not considered it to be a priority, which is a shame.” 

VAR will now also be able to review corner kick decisions, which had not previously been the case. 

“A corner is a resumption of play that always takes a certain amount of time,” Collina said. “Usually you have to wait until the centre-backs go up and the kicker often has to cross the length of the pitch. In that time, it could be the case that by simply looking at an image, you realise the decision was wrong. 

“Does it make sense to let the corner go and hope that a goal isn’t scored? It’s much better to correct the initial decision and postpone it.”

There are reports Cesc Fabregas left Como star Nico Paz on the bench against Lecce today for disciplinary reasons after the Real Madrid product turned up late to a meal.

It was very surprising when the starting XI for today’s Serie A match did not include the young Argentine, especially considering he was suspended for last week’s 2-0 win away to Juventus.

Nico Paz gets the message from Fabregas

Fabregas was asked about the situation before kick-off, questioned on whether Nico Paz was rested ahead of Tuesday’s Coppa Italia semi-final against Inter.

However, he replied it was “not because of that, it was simply a choice that I made.”

According to Sky Sport Italia, the real reason has now been revealed, and it is disciplinary action to send a message to the rest of the squad.

Nico Paz reportedly irritated the Como coach by turning up late to a team dinner in preparation for this game.

He did come on as a substitute eventually in the 3-1 comeback victory, so has evidently been forgiven after this initial warning.

Cesc Fabregas congratulated Como for showing ‘maturity’ as they fought back from an early surprise to beat Lecce 3-1 and keep up the pressure for a Champions League spot.

They had initially been shocked on home turf by the Lecce change of system to 3-5-2, as well as the Lassana Coulibaly free header.

However, the Lariani had turned the game around by half-time thanks to Tasos Douvikas, Jesus Rodriguez and Marc Oliver Kempf goals.

Fabregas sees Como step up to next level

“These are three important points for us, we show consistency after the strong performances against Milan and Juventus,” Fabregas told DAZN Italia.

“I want to congratulate the team for their maturity. This is a strong squad that will deliver in the long run.”

Como are by no means a surprise at this point, despite the fact they only earned promotion into Serie A in 2024.

“This is a journey, there will be ups and downs. We are trying to create a sense of continuity of success, the more we play together, the better we get. This is a team that continues to improve.

“I told the lads, I am calm, because I know you can recognise your mistakes and raise the bar. This is an intelligent group of players, when they get something wrong once, they don’t do it again.”

Fabregas admits he was also taken by surprise going into this game, as Lecce coach Eusebio Di Francesco pulled the rug out from under him.

“It was not a simple match at all. Lecce always play the same way, but today they had three centre-backs, which they never do. We had prepared for a four-man defence, but we won it down the left, where they were slow to cover the gap and were left one on one. We had the right pressing and transition timing.”

There was more good news for Como in the final minutes, as Assane Diao made his comeback after knee surgery, but Alvaro Morata and Kempf had knocks.

“Diao did in a few minutes what we had been missing so much in recent months, so we hope he can get back to full fitness soon. Kempf has a little problem with his hip, we need to evaluate it, but nothing serious,” concluded Fabregas.

“We’re not sure what is wrong with Morata.”

Now they prepare for Tuesday’s Coppa Italia semi-final first leg against Inter.

Como completed a comeback from a shock opener to beat Lecce 3-1, as Jesus Rodriguez celebrated both an assist and his first Serie A goal.

The Lariani were in the thick of the race for a Champions League spot after beating Juventus 2-0 and holding Milan to a draw. Nico Paz returned from suspension, yet was rested ahead of the Coppa Italia semi-final with Inter, but Martin Baturina had an ankle injury, and the season was over for Jayden Addai after a torn Achilles tendon. Lecce’s run of two consecutive victories was stalled by a 2-0 defeat to Inter, with Kialonda Gaspar, Medon Berisha and Francesco Camarda sidelined. They changed to a 3-5-2 formation.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

Wladimiro Falcone used his legs to parry when one-on-one with Tasos Douvikas, but it was Lecce who took the lead against the run of play with their first chance.

Lameck Banda got down the left and whipped in a right-footed cross, finding Lassana Coulibaly for a completely free header into the far top corner from seven yards. The Como defenders had totally lost sight of the midfielder.

Jesus Rodriguez should’ve equalised moments later, but ballooned over from 12 yards on the Ignace van der Brempt pull-back.

He made up for it when running onto the Maxi Perrone through ball and rolled across from the left, where Douvikas only had to prod in from six yards.

Como turned the game around completely, as Coulibaly slipped in midfield to spark the counter, with another great Perrone assist sending Jesus Rodriguez through to dribble around Falcone. He deposited into the empty net for his first Serie A goal after many attempts this season.

The hosts added a third on the stroke of half-time, as everyone expected Lucas Da Cunha to go for goal from his free kick, but instead he floated it over the top for the Marc-Oliver Kempf diving free header.

Remarkably, that was the first time since October 1987 against Ascoli that Como had scored three goals in the first half of a Serie A match.

Douvikas nodded a Da Cunha corner inches wide of the far post, while a crucial block prevented the Nico Paz tap-in from Ignace van der Brempt’s pull-back.

Nico Paz also couldn’t get enough on the Maxence Caqueret slide-rule pass as he went sliding in on the counter-attack, poking it into the arms of Falcone.

Assane Diao and Gaby Jean both made their comebacks from serious injuries, Diao immediately sprinting through to force Falcone to make a save with his legs from close range.

Alvaro Morata had penalty appeals waved away for a coming together with Jamil Siebert, which forced him off injured in stoppages.

Como 3-1 Lecce

Banda 14 (L), Douvikas 19 (C), Jesus Rodriguez 36 (C), Kempf 44 (C)

28-02-2026 14:00

MatchDay 27

Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia

Como

Lecce

3 - 1

Player statistic

1st half

		14'		Lassana Coulibaly (Assist: Lameck Banda)
Anastasios Douvikas (Assist: Jesús Rodriguez)		18'
Jesús Rodriguez (Assist: Máximo Perrone)		36'
Marc Oliver Kempf (Assist: Lucas Da Cunha)		44'

2nd half

70'

Lameck Banda

Match statistic

69

Possession %

31

12

Total shots

5

7

Shots on target

2

3

Shots off target

1

2

Blocked shots

2

5

Corners

1

1

Offsides

2

15

Fouls

12

Como

Lecce

Starting lineups

1

Jean Butez

Goalkeeper

18

Alberto Moreno

Defender

77

Ignace Van Der Brempt

Defender

14

Jacobo Ramón

Defender

2

Marc Oliver Kempf

Defender

46'

31

Mërgim Vojvoda

Defender

64'

6

Maxence Caqueret

Midfielder

23

Máximo Perrone

Midfielder

64'

11

Anastasios Douvikas

Attacker

77'

17

Jesús Rodriguez

Attacker

84'

33

Lucas Da Cunha

Attacker

30

Wladimiro Falcone

Goalkeeper

25

Antonino Gallo

Defender

3

Corrie Ndaba

Defender

46'

17

Danilo Veiga

Defender

5

Jamil Siebert

Defender

44

Tiago Gabriel

Defender

84'

29

Lassana Coulibaly

Midfielder

16

Omri Gandelman

Midfielder

59'

20

Ylber Ramadani

Midfielder

19

Lameck Banda

Attacker

73'

99

Walid Cheddira

Attacker

59'

Substitutes

5

Edoardo Goldaniga

Defender

22

Mauro Vigorito

Goalkeeper

44

Nikola Cavlina

Goalkeeper

3

Álex Valle

Defender

19

Nicolas Kühn

Attacker

28

Ivan Smolcic

Defender

21

Noel Törnqvist

Goalkeeper

Adrian Lahdo

Midfielder

34

Diego Carlos

Defender

46'

8

Sergi Roberto

Midfielder

64'

10

Nico Paz

Midfielder

64'

7

Álvaro Morata

Attacker

77'

38

Assane Diao

Attacker

84'

14

Thórir Jóhann Helgason

Midfielder

32

Jasper Samooja

Goalkeeper

1

Christian Früchtl

Goalkeeper

36

Filip Marchwinski

Midfielder

8

Sadik Fofana

Defender

11

Konan N’Dri

Attacker

13

Matías Pérez

Defender

6

Álex Sala

Midfielder

50

Santiago Pierotti

Attacker

46'

79

Oumar Ngom

Midfielder

59'

9

Nikola Stulic

Attacker

59'

23

Riccardo Sottil

Attacker

73'

18

Gaby Jean

Defender

84'

Anastasios Douvikas leads the Como attack in a home game against Walid Cheddira’s Lecce, but Nico Paz starts on the bench.

It kicks off at 15:00 CET (14:00 GMT) at the Stadio Sinigaglia in Como.

Follow the build-up and live action as it happens on the liveblog.

Jayden Addai and Martin Baturina are injured for the home side, and coach Cesc Fabregas partially rotates his team ahead of next week’s Coppa Italia semifinal against Inter.

Nico Paz is available after missing last week’s away game at Juventus, which Como won 2- 0, but starts on the bench.

Marc-Oliver Kempf gets the nod in central defence alongside Jacobo Ramon.

Lecce have travelled to Como without the injured Medon Berisha, Francesco Camarda, Jay Gorter and Kialonda Gaspar.

Cheddira starts as a centre-forward for the Giallorossi with Lameck Banda on the right wing and Riccardo Sottil initially on the bench.

Serie A Week 27 kicked off on Friday with a 1-1 draw between Parma and Cagliari at the Stadio Tardini.

Como sit 6th in the Serie A table, just five points below a Champions League placement, while Lecce are in the relegation zone, but level on 24 points with Fiorentina and Cremonese.

Como vs. Lecce – official line-ups

Como: Butez; Van der Brempt, Ramon, Kempf, Alberto Moreno; Perrone, Da Cunha; Vojvoda, Caqueret, Jesus Rodriguez; Douvikas.

Lecce: Falcone; Siebert, Tiago Gabriel, Ndaba; Danilo Veiga, Gandelman, Ramadani, Coulibaly, Gallo; Banda, Cheddira.

Federico Dimarco and Henrikh Mkhitaryan joke about the Inter wing-back’s latest Man of the Match award, but are ‘a family’ to protect Alessandro Bastoni from jeering.

It looked on paper like a more comfortable victory than it really was, because they had to wait until the 75^th minute to break Lecce down.

Dimarco had the ball in the net earlier, but it was disallowed because Marcus Thuram’s shoulder was offside in the build-up.

The wing-back was involved in both goals anyway, his corner flicked on for the Henrikh Mkhitaryan half-volley, then a pure assist for the Manuel Akanji header again from the flag.

Dimarco and Mkhitaryan joke about Inter award

“It was a real sigh of relief to get the breakthrough, as we knew it was a difficult game, as Lecce are well-organised. After our long journey to Bodo, we left on Thursday evening, then had to set off again yesterday to travel here, it wasn’t easy,” Dimarco told DAZN Italia.

“This win gave a sense of consistency after beating Juventus, and that is what we needed to keep pushing at the top of the table.”

It means Dimarco makes history as the first Serie A defender to provide assists in five consecutive appearances since 2006-07, and receives another MVP trophy.

“I thought Mkhitaryan deserved the Man of the Match award really, he came on so well. I leave the awards to my kids, they like arranging them, but what really matters for me is the team.”

The Italian now has 14 assists in Serie A this season, comfortably more than any other player.

Standing next to him, Mkhitaryan joked that Dimarco “needs to get a new house to store all these awards.”

“It is usually Bastoni in that position, but seeing as he just ran and made a big challenge, he didn’t have the energy to go there, so I did it instead,” revealed Mkhitaryan.

Following a week of controversy over his simulation to get Juventus defender Pierre Kalulu sent off, Bastoni was jeered loudly by Lecce fans every time he touched the ball this evening. How did his Inter teammates help him deal with that?

“It’s in the past now, we have to focus on the present. Bastoni and everyone else has already talked about it too much, we just focus on our work,” insisted Dimarco.

Mkhitaryan also had words of advice for the Italy international.

“We are a family, we support each other through thick and thin, but that is in the past now and we move on.”

Cristian Chivu backs Alessandro Bastoni against Lecce boo boys, reveals when Denzel Dumfries returns for Inter, and insists the Bodo/Glimt Champions League play-off is ‘wide open.’

The Nerazzurri remain unstoppable in Serie A, as this was their ninth consecutive away victory, and their 14^th win in the last 15 rounds.

They needed until the 75^th minute to break Lecce down at the Stadio Via del Mare, as the earlier Federico Dimarco goal was disallowed for Marcus Thuram’s tight offside position.

However, Dimarco’s corner was flicked on for a Henrikh Mkhitaryan goal, then another set play was nodded in by Manuel Akanji.

Chivu saw positive Inter and has European hope

“We wanted to make the most of the set plays, as we took a lot of them today and it’s a pity we didn’t do them better in the first half,” Chivu told DAZN Italia.

“We’ve got players who know how to attack the space, but above all an extraordinary left foot from Fede, who knows how to put the ball in.”

Who had the better crossing foot, Chivu, Dimarco or Inter assistant Aleksandar Kolarov?

“His foot is much better than mine ever was. I can’t talk for Kolarov, he might be offended…”

Inter needed a response today, as it was their first match since the midweek Champions League play-off defeat to Bodo/Glimt.

The second leg is coming up on Tuesday, but they will be without top scorer and captain Lautaro Martinez, who is out for circa a month with a soleus strain suffered on the synthetic pitch in Norway.

“We are aware of the difficulties, that we have to earn everything on the pitch and can take nothing for granted,” added Chivu.

“Now we have the second leg at home on Tuesday, we must be the best version of ourselves, because the qualification is still wide open. Nothing is decided yet.”

Bastoni was jeered loudly at every touch by the crowd in Lecce this evening, as the blowback continues from the incident where he got Pierre Kalulu of Juventus sent off.

“It’s over as far as I am concerned. I appreciate the professionalism of this defender and man, who understood his error, apologised for what happened, and is well aware that the team comes first. It’s done and dusted for me,” assured Chivu.

It was put to the coach that Marcus Thuram was struggling a little to be impactful today, in the absence of injured Lautaro Martinez.

“I have 24 marvellous players who all try to give their contribution. I liked Marcus today, he ran a lot, played with his back to goal, holding up the ball well. Davide Frattesi also had a great game, they are all involved, focused, keeping our feet on the ground and giving our contribution to the team.”

Hakan Calhanoglu and Nicolò Barella were suspended today, but the good news from the treatment table is for Denzel Dumfries, who had ankle surgery in November.

“Denzel has done some things with us in recent weeks for training, not this week because we were travelling for most of it. Denzel will officially be with the rest of the team from Monday, and I think Hakan Calhanoglu will be too.”

Manuel Akanji insists it is not true that Inter are ‘different’ in the Champions League to Serie A, but Federico Dimarco is one of the ‘top three’ left-footed players he worked with.

The defender came off the bench and rose to nod in the Dimarco corner kick to seal their 2-0 victory away to Lecce.

He scored the second, as fellow substitute Henrikh Mkhitaryan had also turned in a flicked on Dimarco corner at the Stadio Via del Mare.

Akanji praise for Dimarco and Inter

“It is really important even when you are not starting, that you are focused and ready even before coming on,” Akanji told DAZN Italia.

“We saw that with first Mkhi and then me coming off the bench, but also we know how important set pieces can be, they can win you the match, and that is what happened today.”

When considering all the great players he has worked with, where does Dimarco’s left foot rate for Akanji?

“I am trying to think of all the teammates I’ve had, but he’s definitely in the top three. Dimarco has so many assists already, he might be the best, but I don’t want to say anything other than that to not discredit anyone else. He’s amazing.”

They were coming off a painful Champions League play-off defeat to Bodo/Glimt on Wednesday, beaten 3-1 in Norway and losing Lautaro Martinez to injury.

The former Manchester City defender was asked if there were two different Inter teams, one in Europe and one in the Italian league.

“I don’t think there’s two different Inters. The games we lost in the Champions League, most of them at least, were against big teams. We have the chance to turn it around with Bodo/Glimt in a few days,” insisted Akanji.

“Sometimes it works better, sometimes a bit less. I know before people would say we didn’t win big games, now they say we are two different teams in Europe and Italy, but we always try to do our best.”

It took until the 75^th minute to break on-form Lecce down, but Inter took all three points thanks to Federico Dimarco setting up Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Manuel Akanji goals.

The Nerazzurri were still shaken by their Champions League play-off 3-1 defeat to Bodo/Glimt, especially as they also lost Lautaro Martinez for a month to a soleus strain during that match in Norway. Denzel Dumfries was still out, with Hakan Calhanoglu and Nicolò Barella suspended, so Davide Frattesi and Marcus Thuram stepped in. Lecce turned a corner with back-to-back wins over Udinese and Cagliari, and while Francesco Camarda and Medon Berisha were injured, Lameck Banda returned from his ban for a spot on the bench.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

Alessandro Bastoni was loudly jeered by the crowd at every touch following his self-confessed simulation to get Pierre Kalulu sent off for Juventus last week.

In the opening 35 seconds, Kialonda Gaspar at full stretch made a decisive block on Marcus Thuram’s angled drive, injuring himself in the process and forcing a substitution within four minutes.

Substitute Jamil Siebert made an immediate impact, as he performed the goal-line clearance on a Luis Henrique volley from 12 yards to deny Inter the opener on 10 minutes.

Marcus Thuram nodded a Federico Dimarco free kick off target, while Francesco Pio Esposito’s strike was deflected over by Ylber Ramadani.

The Italian striker also forced Wladimiro Falcone into an acrobatic one-handed save, while Ramadani fired over after shrugging off a weak Petar Sucic tackle inside the area.

Thuram stood up the ball at the by-line for Esposito’s header from a tricky angle, denied again by Falcone at the near post, while Frattesi fired over from a slightly mis-placed Luis Henrique assist.

Inter stepped up a gear after the restart and there was nobody at the back post to meet the flicked Frattesi header on a corner, then Dimarco had the ball in the net on 51 minutes from a Thuram pull-back, but the Frenchman’s shoulder was offside in the build-up.

Lecce tried to go on the counter, but Banda slipped as he cut inside and got the shot away from the edge of the penalty area, as Frattesi nodded Bastoni’s cross wide of the near post.

Bastoni read the situation well to prevent Santiago Pierotti cutting inside in the area, but Inter immediately went on the counter and scored from the resulting corner.

Dimarco’s set play was flicked on and bounced in front of substitute Mkhitaryan, who swept in the half-volley from 14 yards with the right foot, sending it through a crowd.

It really should’ve been 2-0 when Dimarco started the move from his own half and combined with Mkhitaryan, but the first shot was parried by Falcone’s foot, then the second attempt cleared off the line by Tiago Gabriel.

Inter did double their advantage from another Dimarco corner, this one nodded in by a towering Manuel Akanji header into the far top corner.

Bastoni received a yellow card and will be suspended against Genoa, but safe for the Derby della Madonnina, and immediately afterwards was replaced by Carlos Augusto to complete Inter’s ninth consecutive Serie A away victory.

Lecce 0-2 Inter

Mkhitaryan 75 (I), Akanji 82 (I)

21-02-2026 17:00

MatchDay 26

Stadio Ettore Giardiniero - Via del Mare

Lecce

Inter

0 - 2

Player statistic

1st half

		10'		Stefan de Vrij
Tiago Gabriel		17'

2nd half

		75'		Henrikh Mkhitaryan
		82'		Manuel Akanji (Assist: Federico Dimarco)
		87'		Alessandro Bastoni

Match statistic

32

Possession %

68

3

Total shots

24

0

Shots on target

9

3

Shots off target

10

0

Blocked shots

5

2

Corners

10

3

Offsides

3

10

Fouls

8

Lecce

Inter

Starting lineups

30

Wladimiro Falcone

Goalkeeper

25

Antonino Gallo

Defender

17

Danilo Veiga

Defender

4

Kialonda Gaspar

Defender

4'

44

Tiago Gabriel

Defender

29

Lassana Coulibaly

Midfielder

83'

16

Omri Gandelman

Midfielder

60'

20

Ylber Ramadani

Midfielder

23

Riccardo Sottil

Attacker

60'

50

Santiago Pierotti

Attacker

83'

99

Walid Cheddira

Attacker

1

Yann Sommer

Goalkeeper

95

Alessandro Bastoni

Defender

88'

32

Federico Dimarco

Defender

8

Petar Sucic

Defender

60'

6

Stefan de Vrij

Defender

60'

31

Yann Bisseck

Defender

16

Davide Frattesi

Midfielder

7

Piotr Zielinski

Midfielder

94

Pio Esposito

Attacker

11

Luis Henrique

Attacker

69'

9

Marcus Thuram

Attacker

69'

Substitutes

14

Thórir Jóhann Helgason

Midfielder

32

Jasper Samooja

Goalkeeper

1

Christian Früchtl

Goalkeeper

36

Filip Marchwinski

Midfielder

18

Gaby Jean

Defender

8

Sadik Fofana

Defender

13

Matías Pérez

Defender

3

Corrie Ndaba

Defender

6

Álex Sala

Midfielder

5

Jamil Siebert

Defender

4'

19

Lameck Banda

Attacker

60'

79

Oumar Ngom

Midfielder

60'

11

Konan N’Dri

Attacker

83'

9

Nikola Stulic

Attacker

83'

15

Francesco Acerbi

Defender

36

Matteo Darmian

Defender

13

Josep Martínez

Goalkeeper

12

Raffaele Di Gennaro

Goalkeeper

58

Luka Topalović

Midfielder

43

Matteo Cocchi

Defender

57

Iwo Kaczmarski

Midfielder

22

Henrikh Mkhitaryan

Midfielder

60'

25

Manuel Akanji

Defender

60'

14

Ange-Yoan Bonny

Defender

69'

17

Andy Diouf

Attacker

69'

30

Carlos Augusto

Midfielder

88'

Inter’s Alessandro Bastoni has not shaken off the controversy for unsporting behaviour yet, as Lecce fans loudly jeered him at every touch today, with Cristian Chivu reassuring the defender.

You can follow all the action as it happens from that game on the Liveblog.

The Italy international was at the centre of controversy over the last week since he simulated a foul to get Pierre Kalulu sent off for Juventus in what turned out to be a 3-2 Nerazzurri victory.

As it was a second yellow card, it could not be overturned using VAR, while the video evidence protocol for serious unsporting behaviour was also too limiting for action to be taken later on.

Bastoni cannot shake off backlash

However, there were calls for Bastoni to be dropped from the Azzurri as punishment, and the issue is clearly not behind him yet.

From the opening whistle at the Stadio Via del Mare this evening, Lecce fans mercilessly and loudly jeered his every touch of the ball.

Chivu noticed on the touchline and tried to reassure the player, telling him to “just ignore them, keep going, you’re doing well, don’t think about it.”

It remains to be seen how long it will take Bastoni to shake off the controversy from that incident, even after his public apology for both making a meal of the situation, and then wildly celebrating the red card.

Inter President Beppe Marotta is confident Lautaro Martinez will ‘recover earlier than expected’ from a muscular strain, but demands focus against Lecce today.

It kicks off at the Stadio Via del Mare at 17.00 GMT (18.00 CET).

You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens from this game, Juventus vs. Como and Cagliari vs. Lazio on the Liveblog.

The last few days have been somewhat mixed for the Nerazzurri, as there was good news with their lead at the top of the Serie A table extended to seven points.

However, they lost 3-1 to Bodo/Glimt in the Champions League play-off and will be without captain Lautaro Martinez for a month following a soleus strain.

Inter shrug off ‘alibis’ after defeat in Norway

“We must all learn to adapt to the fixture list and certain types of playing surfaces,” Marotta told DAZN Italia.

“It certainly wasn’t a wonderful pitch, but the logic of many clubs participating in these tournaments means we have to play in these conditions.

“We have no comment other than to express regret at Lautaro’s injury, but it is certainly not an alibi that it was tough to play on a synthetic surface.

“Lautaro is our captain and he is sad not to be here, but he has been passing on his passion and motivation to the squad. We hope he can recover as quickly as possible, but we also need to be cautious, because it is a serious muscular problem.

“I am sure that he is such a tenacious figure, Lautaro will be able to return earlier than expected.”

There are more changes forced today, as Hakan Calhanoglu and Nicolò Barella are both suspended, so Davide Frattesi gets a rare start in midfield.

“Determination is essential in these matches, as Lecce are not a walk in the park, especially as they are in good shape recently, and we are missing key players, but those who are here will give their all,” insisted the Inter President.

“From tomorrow, Cristian Chivu and the players will start to think about Tuesday’s game.”

Inter have also been at the centre of controversy in the last week, following Alessandro Bastoni’s simulation and the controversial Pierre Kalulu red card in their 3-2 win over Juventus.

Inter try to consolidate their Serie A leadership without Lautaro Martinez and two top midfielders, so Marcus Thuram and Francesco Pio Esposito start for the trip to revitalised Lecce.

It kicks off at the Stadio Via del Mare at 17.00 GMT (18.00 CET).

You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens from this game, Juventus vs. Como and Cagliari vs. Lazio on the Liveblog.

The Nerazzurri had a difficult few days, as while their advantage at the top of the Serie A table was extended to seven points, they were also beaten 3-1 in Norway by Bodo/Glimt in the Champions League play-off.

Even worse news is that Lautaro Martinez suffered a calf strain during that match and has been ruled out for circa a month.

He joins Denzel Dumfries on the treatment table, but today both Hakan Calhanoglu and Nicolò Barella are suspended.

It means forced changes, with Davide Frattesi and Petar Sucic stepping into the starting XI, while Federico Dimarco was rested in Norway.

Esposito gets the nod alongside Thuram, having scored midweek away to Bodo/Glimt.

Lecce have really turned a corner in recent weeks, as they have now won two on the bounce against Udinese and Cagliari to break free of the relegation zone.

Francesco Camarda is still struggling with a dislocated shoulder, while Medon Berisha is also on the treatment table, but Lameck Banda returns from suspension.

Nonetheless, he is on the bench, as Lecce stick with the line-up that won the last two Serie A matches, including January signings Omri Gandelman and Walid Cheddira.

Lecce vs. Inter official line-ups

Lecce: Falcone; Veiga, Gaspar, Tiago Gabriel, Gallo; Ramadani, Coulibaly; Pierotti, Gandelman, Sottil; Cheddira

Inter: Sommer; Bisseck, De Vrji, Bastoni; Luis Henrique, Frattesi, Zielinski, Sucic, Dimarco; Thuram, Esposito

21-02-2026 17:00

MatchDay 26

Stadio Ettore Giardiniero - Via del Mare

Lecce

Inter

0 - 2

Player statistic

1st half

		10'		Stefan de Vrij
Tiago Gabriel		17'

2nd half

		75'		Henrikh Mkhitaryan
		82'		Manuel Akanji (Assist: Federico Dimarco)
		87'		Alessandro Bastoni

Match statistic

32

Possession %

68

3

Total shots

24

0

Shots on target

9

3

Shots off target

10

0

Blocked shots

5

2

Corners

10

3

Offsides

3

10

Fouls

8

Lecce

Inter

Starting lineups

30

Wladimiro Falcone

Goalkeeper

25

Antonino Gallo

Defender

17

Danilo Veiga

Defender

4

Kialonda Gaspar

Defender

4'

44

Tiago Gabriel

Defender

29

Lassana Coulibaly

Midfielder

83'

16

Omri Gandelman

Midfielder

60'

20

Ylber Ramadani

Midfielder

23

Riccardo Sottil

Attacker

60'

50

Santiago Pierotti

Attacker

83'

99

Walid Cheddira

Attacker

1

Yann Sommer

Goalkeeper

95

Alessandro Bastoni

Defender

88'

32

Federico Dimarco

Defender

8

Petar Sucic

Defender

60'

6

Stefan de Vrij

Defender

60'

31

Yann Bisseck

Defender

16

Davide Frattesi

Midfielder

7

Piotr Zielinski

Midfielder

94

Pio Esposito

Attacker

11

Luis Henrique

Attacker

69'

9

Marcus Thuram

Attacker

69'

Substitutes

14

Thórir Jóhann Helgason

Midfielder

32

Jasper Samooja

Goalkeeper

1

Christian Früchtl

Goalkeeper

36

Filip Marchwinski

Midfielder

18

Gaby Jean

Defender

8

Sadik Fofana

Defender

13

Matías Pérez

Defender

3

Corrie Ndaba

Defender

6

Álex Sala

Midfielder

5

Jamil Siebert

Defender

4'

19

Lameck Banda

Attacker

60'

79

Oumar Ngom

Midfielder

60'

11

Konan N’Dri

Attacker

83'

9

Nikola Stulic

Attacker

83'

15

Francesco Acerbi

Defender

36

Matteo Darmian

Defender

13

Josep Martínez

Goalkeeper

12

Raffaele Di Gennaro

Goalkeeper

58

Luka Topalović

Midfielder

43

Matteo Cocchi

Defender

57

Iwo Kaczmarski

Midfielder

22

Henrikh Mkhitaryan

Midfielder

60'

25

Manuel Akanji

Defender

60'

14

Ange-Yoan Bonny

Defender

69'

17

Andy Diouf

Attacker

69'

30

Carlos Augusto

Midfielder

88'