Nikola Vlasic’s third Serie A goal was enough for Torino to seal a 1-0 win over Lecce without their coach Ivan Juric in the dugout due to pneumonia.
Torino announced before the match that Juric wouldn’t lead his team from the touchline as exams in the morning showed the 47-year-old had pneumonia. The Croatian tactician was replaced by his assistant Matteo Paro.
Vlasic scored his third successive goal in Serie A, helping Torino secure their third victory this season. The Granata have now leapfrogged their city rivals Juventus in the Serie A table, joining Roma and Udinese with ten points in five games.
Vlasic broke the deadlock in the first half when Mergim Vojvoda spotted his late run inside the box. The Croatia international got the job done by finding the net at the far post.
Lecce only had two shots on target throughout the game, but it was more balanced than you’d expect. Torino looked very organised against a vibrant Lecce who lack the human resources to be more effective in the final third.
Pietro Pellegri saw his first Serie A goal this season disallowed for offside, while his substitute Tony Sanabria delivered the perfect assist for Vojvoda who missed the big target due to a great save from Wladimiro Falcone.