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

Lecce welcome Roma at the Via del Mare Stadium on Saturday night, March 29 at 8.45 PM in an all-Giallorossi contest. Marco Giampaolo’s quest to save Lecce for an unprecedent third time in a row suffered some hard blows recently as the Salentini squandered a two-goal lead to lose 2-3 to Milan, then were also beaten by Genoa 1-2 before the international break.

Roma, on the other hand, have a six-game winning streak open and will be looking to furtherly strengthen their claims to a Champions League spot next season. That seemed unthinkable only a few months ago, after a turbulent season start that resulted in the axing of two coaches, Daniele De Rossi and Ivan Juric. Claudio Ranieri managed to steady the ship and renew the capital city’s side’s ambitions.

Match Preview

Lecce

These are though times at the Via del Mare. Lecce come from four losses in a row, which were preceded by two draws. Their last W came at Parma on January 31st. Since then, the Giallorossi of Salento have scored only three goals – all with Nikola Krstovic.

The Montenegrin has scored ten goals and notched three assists this term so far. After firing blank between the 6th and 13th matchdays, Krstovic recovered his form and Giampaolo will rely heavily on him to help Lecce achieve salvation for the third time on the trot. That would mean for the Salentini to play in Serie A for four consecutive seasons, a feat they never achieved.

Lecce currently sit 17th in the Serie A table, three points clear of the drop zone. They have a tough string of games ahead of them. Venezia, which they will meet after Roma, is the only other club embroiled in the relegation battle that they must face before season end.

However, their third and second-to-last games against Verona and Torino, who might be already safe and not fighting for any European slots by then, could be a good chance to grab some fundamental points.

Roma

Claudio Ranieri’s return brought a breathe of fresh air at Roma, who are now well in contention for a Champions League spot. Currently ranked 7th in the league, but just four points behind 4th-placed Bologna, the Lupi are enjoying an enviable run of form. They notched six wins in a row, eight out of the last nine games, and are unbeaten in Serie A since December 15, when they slipped 0-2 at Como.

However, this has come at a cost since they crashed out of the Coppa Italia and, moreover, of the Europa League just a few weeks ago.

Paulo Dybala’s recent injury, which will keep La Joya at bay until the end of the season, will take a toll on the Giallorossi‘s offensive prowess. For the final sprint, Ranieri will need to rely on Artem Dovbyk, hoping that the Ukrainian can replicate his incredible season finish from one year ago (he scored ten goals out of his last nine games at Girona…), and on Matìas Soulé, who is finally finding some space in Roma’s lineup after spending the first half of the season on the sidelines.

An “easy” game on paper at Lecce will be like the calm before the storm for Roma, as the Roman Giallorossi‘s last eight league opponents will include Juventus, Lazio, Inter, Fiorentina, Atalanta, and Milan.

Team News

There is no big news when it comes to the Lecce vs. Roma expected lineups. Marco Giampaolo will likely confirm the same formation that lost 1-2 to Genoa two weeks ago. Among the Roma lines, Manu Koné will probably take Leandro Paredes’ spot in the midfield since the Argentine is just back from his international duties and may need some time to recover.

Lecce vs Roma Potential Starting Line-ups

Lecce (4-3-3): Falcone; Guilbert, Baschirotto, Jean, Gallo; Coulibaly, Berisha, Helgason; Pierotti, Krstovic, Morente

Roma (3-4-2-1): Svilar; Mancini, Hummels, Ndicka; Saelemaekers, Koné, Cristante, Angelino; Soulé, Pellegrini, Dovbyk

Lecce vs Roma Prediction

Even though the international break might have halted Roma’s momentum, Ranieri’s side’s run of form should be enough to make short work of the home Salentini. Plus, Roma cannot afford any slip up here considering that their upcoming games will be much more challenging. We expect Roma to have the upper hand. Lecce will need to look elsewhere for the points they need to avoid relegation.