The fourth matchday of the 25-26 Serie A season kicks off with a relegation battle. On one side is Eusebio Di Francesco’s Lecce, currently bottom of the table and still searching for their first three points, and on the other is Fabio Pisacane’s Cagliari, who got off the mark in the last round with a 2-0 win over Parma.
The Sardinians, in reality, had not disappointed in previous matches either: the draw in their debut against Fiorentina was, all things considered, a fair result, even though they only managed to equalize in injury time; against Italian champions Napoli, the Rossoblù came very close to taking an unexpected point away from the Maradona, thanks to a solid and attentive performance, but were punished at the last moment by a goal from Anguissa.
Last Saturday, however, brought their first joy, as well as their first clean sheet of the season: Mina and Felici, with a goal in each half, tamed the Ducali, who nevertheless had several chances to equalize. Lecce, on the other hand, were overwhelmed by Ivan Juric’s Atalanta: it was a one-sided match in Bergamo between the Orobici and the Salentini, in which the talent of Belgian De Ketelaere shone, scoring two goals (4-1). This is the second consecutive defeat for the Giallorossi after their 2-0 loss to Milan at the Via del Mare. Di Francesco’s team is clearly struggling in attack, having scored just one goal in three games.
Lecce-Cagliari: the latest news on the lineups
Despite the heavy defeat in Bergamo, Di Francesco is expected to stick with a 4-3-3 formation. The coach is still undecided about his attack: should he continue to put his faith in Stulic up front or throw the young Camarda into the fray? Pierotti and Tete Morente are sure to start, while former Fiorentina player Sottil returns to the bench.
Cagliari will be without Luvumbo, who is injured again and out for at least two games. Up front, it will be up to the Esposito-Belotti duo, supported by Gaetano.
Odds comparison
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The prediction
Cagliari’s last win in Salento dates back to 2011, but since 2005 Lecce has only beaten the Sardinians once at the “Via del Mare.” The islanders are undoubtedly in better shape, buoyed by their victory over Parma: however, we expect a very balanced match between two teams that will do everything they can not to lose, especially the Giallorossi. Given Lecce’s offensive numbers and Cagliari’s zero away goals, it is very likely that the total number of goals will be less than three.
Probable lineups for Lecce-Cagliari
LECCE (4-3-3): Falcone; Danilo Veiga, Gaspar, Tiago Gabriel, Gallo; Coulibaly, Ramadani, Berisha; Pierotti, Stulic, Tete Morente.
CAGLIARI (4-3-2-1): Caprile; Zappa, Mina, Luperto, Obert; Folorunsho, Prati, Adopo; Gaetano, Sebastiano Esposito; Belotti.
POSSIBLE RESULT: 1-1