Inter sealed the three points with a late substitute goal from Henrikh Mkhitaryan, yet the narrative centered on Bastoni. The Italian defender faced a hostile reception from the outset, with Lecce fans targeting him following his controversial dive against Juventus that led to a red card for Pierre Kalulu.
Despite receiving death threats online prior to the match, Bastoni maintained his composure. Manager Cristian Chivu clarified that the decision to hand the captain’s armband to Stefan de Vrij was unrelated to Bastoni’s current situation.