Serie A Preview: Lecce vs Napoli – Team News, Line-ups & Prediction | OneFootball

Serie A pacesetters Napoli head to Stadio Via del Mare to take on relegation-threatened Lecce in a high-stakes clash on Saturday evening. Both teams are desperate for points, though their motivations differ.

Lecce couldn’t postpone their trip to Bergamo last weekend after the sudden death of their physiotherapist. However, Marco Giampaolo’s side paid a fitting tribute to their long-serving staff member with a spirited performance, earning a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Atalanta to keep their survival hopes alive.

Despite pulling off an upset at the Gewiss Stadium, Lecce cannot afford to rest on their laurels. Only a point separates them from 18th-placed Venezia pre-round, largely thanks to a long-stMatanding winless streak dating back to late January. Therefore, the hosts may not be overly optimistic ahead of this fixture.

In stark contrast to Lecce’s bottom-half woes, Napoli will take the field in high spirits. Antonio Conte’s side took advantage of Inter Milan’s two consecutive league defeats to overtake the reigning Scudetto holders at the throne. With only four games remaining, the Partenopei boast a three-point lead at the table’s summit.

Ex-Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay has been the architect of Napoli’s incredible title push. His match-winning brace in a 2-0 triumph against Torino last weekend cemented his status as a new fan favorite at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, taking his Serie A haul to 12 goals.

Match Preview

Lecce

These are not ideal times to be a Lecce fan. Though narrowly clear of the drop zone, Giampaolo’s charges face an uphill task to avoid relegation, with three of their remaining four league fixtures coming against sides from the upper half of the table. That’s particularly ominous when factoring in their abysmal record against the division’s heavy hitters.

Lecce have gone winless in every home league encounter against the current top-13 teams this season (D3, L8). Furthermore, a lack of scoring prowess saw them fail to get on the scoresheet in eight of those 11 matches, casting further doubt on their quest to upset the apple cart today.

Adding to this sentiment, Lecce have only picked up one point from their last four meetings with Napoli in Serie A (D1, L3), drawing a blank on three occasions, including a narrow 1-0 loss in October’s reverse fixture. As a result, not even the most optimistic Giallorossi fans can expect their team to post their first home league win since mid-December.

Napoli

Lecce’s form wobble must be music to Conte’s ears as the trophy-laden manager aims to inspire Napoli to their second Serie A title in three years. The visitors have hit their stride since the start of March, tallying five wins in eight league outings while drawing the other three, including a scoreless draw at Lecce’s fellow relegation opponents, Venezia.

That result forms part of Napoli’s intimidating league record against current bottom-eight sides this season (W10, D1, L1). With their remaining four league clashes pitting them against clubs from the lower reaches, Napoli look perfectly positioned to deny Inter the prAdd New Postivilege of becoming the first Scudetto holders to defend the title in five years.

Further confidence comes from the visitors’ impressive run of six wins from seven top-flight encounters against the division’s bottom four (D1), not to mention the fact they have yet to concede in such clashes this term. Another clean sheet is on the cards, given that Napoli have registered a league-high 16 shutouts pre-round.

Team News

Long-term absentees Gaby Jean and Filip Marchwinski remain out of contention, with Joan Gonzalez joining them on the sidelines. However, Lecce can draw heart from Medon Berisha’s return from suspension. The same goes for Giampaolo’s most prolific forward, Nikola Krstovic.

On the other hand, Napoli will be without Brazilian duo Juan Jesus and David Neres. After being forced off against Torino, Alessandro Buongiorno may start on the bench, with Rafa Marin likely to take his place in defense alongside Amir Rrahmani.

Lecce vs Napoli Potential Starting Line-ups

Lecce (4-2-3-1): Falcone; Guilbert, Baschirotto, Gaspar, Gallo; Coulibaly, Ramadani; Pierotti, Helgason, Morente; Krstovic.

Napoli (4-2-3-1): Meret; Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Marin, Olivera; Anguissa, Lobotka; Politano, McTominay, Spinazzola; Lukaku.

Lecce vs Napoli Prediction

Lecce’s well-documented scoring woes should make this a straightforward task for Conte’s stubborn defensive unit. With McTominay firing on all cylinders and Romelu Lukaku seeking his first Serie A goal since mid-April, Napoli should stroll to three points in Puglia.