Match preview

Closing in on automatic qualification for the last 16, Inter resumed their Champions League campaign on Wednesday, when they saw off struggling Sparta Prague.

The Nerazzurri's 1-0 win, secured thanks to an early strike from captain Lautaro Martinez, took them onto 16 points from seven games and puts them on track to avoid the playoffs - a home draw against Monaco next week would seal the deal.

This season, Simone Inzaghi's side have lost just three of 30 matches across all competitions: twice being beaten by AC Milan either side of their sole European loss to German champions Bayer Leverkusen.

Since letting a two-goal lead slip against their city rivals in the Supercoppa Italiana final, Inter have bounced back by adding seven points to their impressive Serie A total.

Also into the Coppa Italia quarter-finals, the Scudetto holders are unbeaten in 15 league matches, leaving them tucked in behind leaders Napoli with one game in hand.

Last week, Martinez opened the scoring in a 3-1 home win over Empoli, which followed a landmark victory over Venezia: the latter was their sixth consecutive away victory in Serie A without conceding, setting a new club best.

Only Milan - with a run of eight between November 1993 and March 1994 - have ever put a better sequence together, but Inter could match that as the 'away' side in next week's Derby della Madonnina.

First, they must take care of business against Lecce, who they have beaten by scoring at least twice and keeping a clean sheet in all of the clubs' last four meetings.

Heading into Sunday's clash, Lecce have won only one of their last eight league matches against Inter at Via del Mare - and none since January 2012.

As is often the case for the southern side, they will again encounter the second-city giants amid a scrap for Serie A survival - this time, they are one of 10 teams inside the bottom half of the table that are still in danger.

After the Giallorossi recently climbed out of the drop zone at Cagliari's expense, they were leapfrogged by their relegation rivals last weekend, when they led in Sardinia before completely imploding.

Santiago Pierotti gave Lecce the lead just before half time, but they then conceded twice either side of a red card for Ante Rebic, emphatically ending a bright start for new boss Marco Giampaolo.

Since the ex-Milan manager arrived, he has stabilised the Salentini, who have lost just one of their last six home games; however, they remain the league's lowest scorers with just 15 goals from 21 matches.

Lecce possible starting lineup:

Falcone; Guilbert, Baschirotto, Jean, Gallo; Helgason, Coulibaly, Pierret; Dorgu, Krstovic, Morente

Inter Milan possible starting lineup:

Sommer; Pavard, De Vrij, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Asllani, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Martinez, Thuram