Juve 1-1 Lecce: David's Penalty Woe & Falcone's Masterclass Deny Spalletti

It was a night of statistical defiance in Turin. Juventus controlled 72% possession and generated nearly 3.0 Expected Goals (xG), yet Luciano Spalletti’s men walked away with a solitary point against a Lecce side that registered just 0.26 xG.

While Weston McKennie finally opened his domestic account for the season, the headlines will focus on Jonathan David, whose struggles from the penalty spot continue to haunt his transition to Italian football.

The "xG" Anomaly

Football is often cruel, but this result borders on the inexplicable. Juventus fired 25 shots to Lecce’s 6, creating enough high-quality chances to win three matches.

The pivotal moment arrived just before the break. A loose pass from Andrea Cambiaso allowed Lameck Banda to engage his afterburners. The Zambian winger—who was playing against Comoros in the AFCON group stages just nine days ago—showed no signs of jet lag. Clocking a sprint speed reminiscent of his devastating 2024/25 peak (where he regularly topped 34 km/h), Banda left Bremer trailing before firing a rocket past Michele Di Gregorio.

McKennie Breaks the Domestic Curse

Weston McKennie provided the equalizer in the 50th minute, sweeping home Kenan Yildiz’s cross.

• The Stat: This was McKennie’s first Serie A goal of the 2025/26 campaign.
• The Context: While the American has been prolific in Europe—netting twice in the Champions League group stages—he had gone over a calendar year without a league goal, his last dating back to December 2024.

His resurgence is undeniable, with 5 direct goal contributions in his last 9 appearances across all competitions, a stark contrast to the single assist he managed in his previous 31 outings.

The David Dilemma & Falcone's Heroics

The match ultimately swung on the 65th minute penalty. When VAR penalized Kaba for handball, Jonathan David stepped up. The Canadian, signed to be the killer in the box, produced a tame, central effort.

Wladimiro Falcone, a goalkeeper rapidly building a reputation as a giant-killer, read it perfectly. This was Falcone’s 11th career penalty save and his 5th in the last four Serie A seasons. It evoked memories of his famous stop against Romelu Lukaku in 2023—once again, he stood tall when the pressure was highest.

For David, the miss is concerning. Data shows he has now missed three penalties since the start of the 2024/25 season, a conversion drop-off that Spalletti will need to address urgently if Juve are to catch Milan.

Table Implications

The draw leaves Juventus (33 points) in 5th place, failing to capitalize on their game in hand. They trail leaders AC Milan (38 points) by five. For Lecce, the point is a lifeline, keeping them just above the relegation mire as they await the full return of their squad from international duty.