Lorenzo Colombo scored one goal and assisted the other for Lameck Banda with a back-heel flick, as Lecce earned a surprise win at Marassi to further push Sampdoria towards Serie B.
This was a relegation dogfight with the Blucerchiati in penultimate place, one point off rock bottom Verona, and newly-promoted Lecce in 16th. New Samp coach Dejan Stankovic was struggling after three consecutive defeats, and sitting out a touchline ban, with Omar Colley suspended, Abdelhamid Sabiri, Nicola Ravaglia, Ignacio Pussetto, Andrea Conti and Harry Winks injured. The visitors were fresh off a 2-1 home win over Atalanta midweek, but Giuseppe Pezzella and Kastriot Dermaku didn’t make the trip.
Manolo Gabbiadini blasted wide in the opening minutes, then drilled through a sea of legs to be denied by a fingertip Wladimiro Falcone save to push it round the far post.
Falcone also made a reaction save from point-blank range on Gabbiadini’s header, even if the offside flag went up, while Federico Di Francesco scuffed wide on the counter-attack and Gabriel Strefezza’s free kick skimmed the upright.
Lecce took the lead on the stroke of half-time, as a double ricochet fell kindly for Lorenzo Colombo, who immediately sprinted forward and smashed in the finish from a tight angle.
Di Francesco had the ball in the back of the net after the restart, but was narrowly offside.
Sampdoria spent the entire second half pouring forward, with Falcone rushing off his line to clear from Francesco Caputo, while Kristoffer Askildsen drilled straight at Emil Audero.
Instead, Lecce doubled their lead, as Colombo drew defenders towards him and then released Lameck Banda with a cheeky back-heel flick, allowing the striker to dink it over the on-rushing goalkeeper.
Valentin Gendrey made a desperate last-ditch tackle on Gabbiadini from six yards, then Fabio Quagliarella’s header looped over the bar, the veteran stung Falcone’s gloves and Tomas Rincon turned off target in stoppages.
Sampdoria 0-2 Lecce
Colombo 45 (L), Banda 82 (L)