Lassana Coulibaly, Lecce's Malian midfielder, scored twice against Monza on Sunday to deliver his side a 3-2 home victory — their first win at home this season and a result that steadied a club that had lost its previous two matches.
The timing matters. Di Francesco's Lecce had collected just three points from their opening three Serie A fixtures, shipping goals and finding little cohesion in midfield. Coulibaly's double, complemented by a contribution from Tiago Gabriel, gave the giallorossi a result that not only arrests the slide but reframes what this squad can produce when its engine room functions.
Coulibaly has been that engine. Across four Serie A appearances in 2026-27, the 30-year-old carries two goals and an assist, with an average match rating of 7.40 — numbers that place him among the more productive central midfielders in the division at this early stage. For a player who spent time at Salernitana before arriving in Salento, the brace against Monza is a statement of intent in a new environment, evidence that the move has sharpened rather than disrupted him.
The defeat that preceded Sunday's result — a 1-0 loss away to Cagliari, where Daniel Maldini's goal proved sufficient — underlined how thin the margins are for a side sitting twelfth with six points from four matches. Two wins, two losses, no draws: Lecce are a team of extremes so far, capable of a three-goal performance at home and equally capable of being shut out on the road.
Eusebio Di Francesco's challenge is to find the consistency that sits between those poles. Coulibaly, rated at 71 out of 100 by the club's analytical models, is the most credible candidate to provide it. A midfielder who scores, assists, and rates above seven in a side still finding its shape is an asset that can anchor a season rather than merely decorate it.
Lecce's next task is to prove Sunday was a floor, not a ceiling.