Lassana Coulibaly, Lecce's Malian midfielder, scored twice at home on Sunday to hand Di Francesco's side a 3-2 victory against Monza — a result that also confirmed Tiago Gabriel as a secondary force in a performance that was, at its core, built around one man.
The significance extends beyond three points. Coulibaly delivered both goals in a match that finished level twice before Lecce pulled clear — the kind of contribution that shifts how a squad reads its own season.
The numbers behind the performance are worth examining carefully. Across four Serie A appearances in 2026-27, Coulibaly now carries two goals and one assist, with an average match rating of 7.40 — figures that place him among the more productive central midfielders in the division at this early stage. His AI overall of 71 out of 100 reflects a player operating at a consistent level rather than one riding a hot streak, which makes the brace more credible as a signal than as an outlier. Monza, for their part, found the net twice through Mangas and Zeballos, meaning Lecce were made to work for the result rather than simply absorbing a lesser opponent.
Di Francesco's Lecce now sit twelfth with six points, their win-loss record reading two victories and two defeats with no draws. The profile of those results — no middle ground, no grinding stalemates — suggests a team capable of competing but not yet of controlling. Coulibaly's ability to produce decisive moments in tight matches is the variable that makes the difference between a side that hovers and one that climbs.
Monza's coach Ivan Juric watched his side concede a third time having already fought back to parity. For Lecce, the next fixture arrives with Coulibaly carrying form that the rest of the division will need to account for.