Lecce will face off against Empoli at the Stadio Via del Mare in Friday’s Serie A matchup.
After their recent 1-0 loss to Bologna, Lecce will be eager to turn things around. In that game, Lecce held only 28% possession, managing six shots with none on target, while Bologna registered 20 shots with Riccardo Orsolini scoring in the 85th minute.
Lecce has struggled offensively in recent games, with only one goal across their last six matches and conceding 12. However, Lecce has not lost to Empoli in their last two league encounters.
Empoli enters this match following a narrow 1-0 victory over Como. Empoli held 41% possession, producing nine shots with four on target, and Pietro Pellegri found the net in the 47th minute. However, Empoli’s scoring record remains modest, with only four goals in their last six games, while conceding eight.
Pre-match insights show Empoli’s away form hasn’t been promising, with no wins against Lecce in their last four league visits and no victories in their last two away league matches.
Looking at previous encounters between the two teams, they’ve faced off six times since January 2021, with Empoli winning two, Lecce winning one, and three draws. Their last meeting in April 2024 saw Lecce edge Empoli 1-0 with Nicola Sansone scoring in the 89th minute.
For this match, Lecce’s lineup could feature a 4-5-1 formation, with Wladimiro Falcone, Frédéric Guilbert, Federico Baschirotto, Kialonda Gaspar, Antonino Gallo, Patrick Dorgu, Ylber Ramadani, Santiago Pierotti, Hamza Rafia, Lameck Banda, and Nikola Krstovic.
Injuries keep several players out, including Kevin Bonifazi, Luis Hasa, Filip Marchwinski, Rareș Burnete, Medon Berisha, Joan González, and Jeppe Corfitzen.
Empoli, potentially in a 3-4-2-1 formation, could field Devis Vásquez, Saba Goglichidze, Ardian Ismajli, Mattia Viti, E.
Quartsin Gyasi, Youssef Maleh, Faustino Anjorin, Giuseppe Pezzella, Liam Henderson, Lorenzo Colombo, and Ola Solbakken, with a few key absences due to injuries, such as Saba Sazonov, Samuele Perisan, Jacopo Fazzini, Szymon Żurkowski, Sebastiano Esposito, Alberto Grassi, and Tyronne Ebuehi.
Prediction
In terms of predictions, we anticipate a close game where Empoli might struggle to break through Lecce’s defense. A 1-0 win for Lecce appears likely, with a forecast for fewer than 3.5 total goals in the match.
