Serie A | Gameweek 20

Jan 11, 2025 at 2pm UK

Stadio Carlo Castellani

Empoli vs Lecce

Match preview

Empoli go into this weekend's match after a 1-1 draw with Venezia. Sebastiano Esposito's goal in the 32nd minute got them a crucial point, after they'd been close to losing for the fourth game in a row. They'd been behind after an early goal from Joel Pohjanpalo.

Having stopped their losing streak with that result, the team from Tuscany will be keen to keep going and get a better outcome in their next game. They're aiming to end their four-match winless run.

They might not find a more favourable opponent than a struggling Lecce side that have only managed to avoid defeat in two of their nine Serie A away fixtures.

Empoli's record against the visitors is also pretty good, having won three of the five top flight meetings between the sides at the Castellani while remaining unbeaten in such encounters.

But the hosts have had a tough time at home recently, so it's not clear if they'll be able to bag all three points. They've only won one out of nine top-flight matches, and they've only got seven points from 27. That's the third-worst record in the league.

Things were looking up for Lecce after they sacked their manager and got Marco Giampaolo, but now they're back to where they started.

The Italian manager, who was appointed on 11 November after the previous head coach, Luca Gotti, was sacked, got off to a strong start, picking up seven points from a possible 12. But he's now gone three games without a victory, including a goalless draw against Genoa in their most recent match.

Things have improved a bit since Giampaolo arrived, with the team averaging 1.14 points per game compared to the 0.75 they got in their first 12 matches under Gotti, but Lecce are still doing pretty badly in the relegation battle.

The Salentini's poor performance this season is mostly down to their lack of away goals — they've only scored two, the least in the division — and their poor away form, where they've only picked up four points from 27.

Recent Performance

Empoli Serie A form:LWLLLD

Empoli form (all competitions):WWLLLD

Lecce Serie A form:DLWLLD

Team News

Nicolas Haas and Pietro Pellegri are still out for the season as they recover from ACL injuries, and Ola Solbakken is dealing with a shoulder problem that's expected to keep him out until late January.

Lorenzo Colombo is likely to lead the line for the hosts once again, aiming to end his recent dry spell, having gone two league matches without finding the net.

For the visitors, Hamza Rafia is still out with a muscle injury, Kialonda Gaspar is out for the season with an ACL issue and Medon Berisha is a doubt for Saturday's match because of a muscle problem.

On a brighter note, Giampaolo is happy to have Lameck Banda back in training after his ankle injury in November, but the Zambian winger probably won't be in the starting XI this weekend.

Possible starting lineup

Empoli possible starting lineup:

Vasquez; Goglichidze, Ismajli, Viti; Gyasi, Anjorin, Grassi, Pezzella; Maleh, Esposito; Colombo.

Lecce possible starting lineup:

Falcone; Guilbert, Baschirotto, Jean, Dorgu; Coulibaly, Pierret, Kaba; Karlsson, Krstovic, Morente