In a highly-anticipated Serie A clash, early high-flyers Lecce welcome newly-promoted Genoa to the Stadio Via del Mare on Friday night.
This article provides a preview of the match, including team news, lineups, and our prediction.
Match Preview
Lecce enters the weekend as one of only three teams still unbeaten in Serie A, alongside Inter Milan and Juventus.
This remarkable feat marks only the third time in their top-flight history that Lecce has gone unbeaten in their first four matches.
However, they face the challenge of maintaining this streak beyond the fifth match, as they have never remained unbeaten after five matches.
Roberto D’Aversa, the manager of Lecce, faces the task of keeping his side in the top four as they prepare to face tough opponents like Juventus and Napoli in the coming weeks.
Nikola Krstovic has been instrumental in Lecce’s success so far, scoring three goals in three games since his arrival from Dunajska Streda.
He also found the net for Montenegro during the international break. Prior to joining Lecce, Krstovic scored an impressive 26 goals in Slovakia last season.
Lecce has already secured victories against Lazio and Salernitana at the Via del Mare, while drawing both their away matches against Fiorentina and Monza.
Genoa, on the other hand, experienced a setback in their last match against Napoli, squandering a 2-0 lead to only manage a draw.
Alberto Gilardino’s men currently sit in 13th place with four points, in what is their first season back in the top flight.
Genoa’s start has been inconsistent, suffering a heavy defeat against Fiorentina before securing an away win against Lazio.
Despite a recent loss to Torino, they performed admirably against Napoli, demonstrating their potential.
When it comes to previous encounters between these two teams, Genoa has dominated with an unbeaten record against Lecce in Serie A for over three decades.
They have won seven matches and recorded five draws. This historical advantage may provide Genoa with some confidence as they enter the game.
Team News:
Lecce will be without Federico Baschirotto, who received a red card in their last match, and Kastriot Dermaku due to a thigh injury.
Nicola Sansone, a recent signing, may make his debut after being unused in the previous game.
Lecce’s new midfield trio of Ylber Ramadani, Mohamed Kaba, and Hamza Rafia have performed well, seamlessly replacing Morten Hjulmand.
Remi Oudin and Alexis Blin, previously regular starters, have seen reduced playing time.
For Genoa, Ruslan Malinovskyi may return to the starting lineup after opting for a more defensive approach against Napoli.
Koni De Winter, who made his debut at right-back, and Berkan Kutlu, a Turkish midfielder, are hopeful for more playing time.
Alessandro Vogliacco is unavailable due to a thigh injury, and Junior Messias is yet to feature due to an ankle problem.
Predicted Lineups:
Lecce:
Falcone;
Gendrey, Pongracic, Venuti, Gallo;
Kaba, Ramadani, Rafia;
Gabriel Strefezza, Krstovic, Sansone
Genoa:
Josep Martinez;
De Winter, Bani, Dragusin, Martin;
Sabelli, Badelj, Frendrup;
Malinovskyi, Gudmundsson, Retegui
Prediction:
In this encounter, Lecce will aim to set a new club record by remaining unbeaten for the fifth consecutive match.
However, Genoa has shown promise in their performances against strong opponents like Lazio and Napoli, making it likely that this will be a close and competitive match.
Our prediction is a 1-1 draw.
