Empoli-Lecce is a Serie A Week 28 match played on Monday at 18:30: odds, predictions, TV and streaming.
Salvation is there, just a stone’s throw away. Empoli and Lecce have been aware of this for several weeks now, which is why they seem to have pulled the reins in the boat in recent matches. In the relegation zone, in fact, none of the three teams has made significant progress: Sampdoria and Cremonese are now doomed, while Verona, after having reopened the salvation race between January and February, is once again proceeding with a hiccup.
The Salentini find themselves fifth-bottom but with a margin of eight points over third-last place, while the Tuscans have one point more. But the fact that both of them have not won in over a month speaks volumes about the physiological feeling of exhaustion that is characterising them, with the season’s target just inches away. Empoli have not won since their historic success at the San Siro against Inter last January: in the next eight matches they have brought home only three points, the result of draws against Torino, Spezia and Fiorentina. Paolo Zanetti’s men have been losing uninterruptedly for four days and before the break they were relegated (2-1) by Atalanta after finishing ahead in the first half with a goal from Ebuehi. Lecce have also lost four in a row, having been unable to collect any points since their victory in Bergamo against Atalanta on 19 February, which probably allowed Marco Baroni’s Giallorossi to secure safety.
Lecce have only beaten Empoli once in Serie A
Empoli and Lecce have also recorded similar numbers in terms of goals scored (24 for both) and conceded (36 and 32). The Giallorossi’s attack, however, jammed right after the victory against La Dea: since then it has remained dry.
Baroni
The precedents favour Empoli, who have only lost one match against Lecce in Serie A: in the top flight, the Salentini haven’t beaten the Azzurri in exactly twenty years, and they have never managed it at the ‘Castellani’. For the rest, three successes for the Tuscans and as many draws. Finally, the two teams that have not scored a single point in the month of March will face each other: Empoli are even the team that has scored the least since the beginning of the second half of the season. Another detail that certainly cannot go unnoticed concerns the ‘Under 2.5’ sign: every time Empoli and Lecce take the field there is hardly a match with at least three goals in total.
Empoli-Lecce: latest line-up news
Zanetti must still do without his starting goalkeeper, Provedel, who is out with a rib problem. The Azzurri number one has not recovered and against Lecce Perisan will again be in goal. The only ballot is in defence, where in the centre, alongside Luperto, Ismajli and De Winter will compete for a shirt. Akpa Akpro, Marin and Bandinelli will act in midfield, with Baldanzi behind the two strikers Caputo and Satriano.
In Lecce, Umtiti and Maleh are disqualified. The former Barcelona man’s place will be taken by Tuia, while on the defensive left flank Gallo should prevail over Pezzella. Strefezza and Di Francesco sure of a place in the attacking trident, it is a ballot between Colombo and Ceesay.
The prediction
A draw could do them both good to take another step towards safety, but above all to put an end to the losing streak. Both Empoli and Lecce will be aiming for the whole of the stakes in order to try and close the salvation gap once and for all: at least one goal per side is to be expected.
Empoli v Lecce likely line-ups
- EMPOLI (4-3-1-2): Perisan; Ebuehi, Ismajli, Luperto, Parisi; Akpa-Akpro, Marin, Bandinelli; Baldanzi; Caputo, Satriano.
- LECCE (4-3-3): Falcone; Gendrey, Baschirotto, Tuia, Gallo; Blin, Hjulmand, Gonzalez; Strefezza, Colombo, Di Francesco.
POSSIBLE RESULT: 1-1
