Serie A: Lecce safe after last-gasp penalty drama

Lorenzo Colombo slotted home the spot-kick which maintained Lecce’s Serie A status in the 11th minute of stoppage time after Christian Gytkjaer was penalised for handball following a VAR check.

Monza’s Christian Gytkjaer misses a penalty kick during the Serie A football match between Monza and Lecce. | Photo Credit: Claudio Grassi/ AP

Lecce ensured Serie A survival on Sunday after late penalty drama gave it a 1-0 win over Monza, while a crushing late draw with Empoli left Verona needing help to stay up.

Lorenzo Colombo slotted home the spot-kick which maintained Lecce’s Serie A status in the 11th minute of stoppage time after Christian Gytkjaer was penalised for handball following a VAR check.

Former Denmark forward Gytkjaer had a penalty of his own saved by Wladimiro Falcone with six minutes of regular time remaining.

That allowed Colombo to fire Lecce five points clear of the drop zone, where Verona sits in the final relegation spot after a gut-wrenching Giangiacomo Magnani own goal in the sixth minute of injury time which snatched a 1-1 draw for safe Empoli.

Marco Zaffaroni’s team had looked set to move above 17th-placed Spezia when substitute Adolfo Gaich pounced on the rebound just after the hour mark after Empoli goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario failed to hold Cyril Ngonge’s powerful drive.

Instead, it is level on 31 points with its relegation rival, which it might have to face in a play-off devised this season to decide who ends up in 18th place between teams who finish on the same points.

Verona plays its final fixture of the season at AC Milan, which will claim the final Champions League spot if it avoids defeat at troubled Juventus in Sunday’s late match, while Spezia travels to Roma.

Victor Osimhen’s brace wasn’t enough for Napoli, as the newly-crowned Italian champion threw away a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 with Bologna.

Nigeria forward Osimhen took his season’s tally to 30 in all competitions with finishes in the 14th and 54th minutes, but it wasn’t enough for Luciano Spalletti’s side.

Napoli won its first league title since 1990 this season, but coach Spalletti is set to leave in the summer as part of the latest shake-up at southern Italy’s biggest club.

Lewis Ferguson pulled one back in the 63rd minute, and Lorenzo De Silvestri headed the host level in his final home match as a Bologna player.

Lazio will reclaim second place from Inter Milan with a win over Cremonese, already relegated alongside bottom club Sampdoria.