Separated by two points and two places in the Serie A standings, Lecce and Salernitana go toe to toe on Friday evening, at Stadio Via del Mare.

Both sides were beaten 2-0 last weekend but remain clear of the relegation zone at the season's halfway stage.

Match preview

Venturing to Verona 11 points clear of their potential relegation rivals after 18 league games, Lecce were presented with a chance to further distance themselves from the bottom three last week, but could not take it within their grasp.

The Salentini's six-match unbeaten run stretching back to October came to an end at Stadio Bentegodi, as their struggling hosts scored shortly before and after the half-time break and they could not respond.

As a result of some improved home form - Scudetto-holders AC Milan almost becoming victims of an upset last time out at Stadio Via del Mare - Marco Baroni's men still sit eight points clear of the drop zone, and with a defensive record better than both Inter and Atalanta BC their hopes of survival are built on solid foundations.

Sampdoria loanee Wladimiro Falcone has proved a reliable last line of defence for the Giallorossi this term, while Barcelona outcast Samuel Umtiti was regaining form and fitness following a long spell on the sidelines at Camp Nou, until suffering another injury in Verona.

Even if the World Cup-winner is now absent for a while, last season's Serie B champions must fancy their chances of doing the double over Friday's opponents, given Salernitana's current crisis.

After being beaten 2-1 at home by Lecce in September, Salernitana later embarked on an impressive autumn run that established them as contenders for mid-table respectability; however, there have been more tumultuous times at Stadio Arechi of late.

Following an extraordinary week in which they shipped eight goals to Atalanta before firing and re-hiring coach Davide Nicola, the Granata faced the daunting task of hosting regional rivals and ruthless league leaders Napoli last Saturday.

Following a quick rethink from the board, renowned survival specialist Nicola was invited to return and was duly back in the dugout when their visitors from along the Campania coast arrived in Salerno.

However, there was to be no happy ending to such a strange tale, as his side took their tally to 10 goals conceded in two outings when Napoli made their dominance pay by scoring in either half.

Since November, no other team have picked up fewer points in Serie A, so Nicola may find his second life short-lived if he cannot spark a turnaround in the coming games - starting on Friday night at Via del Mare, when victory would haul Salernitana above their hosts in the table.

Team News

In spite of their setback in Verona, Lecce's first XI has been fairly well established of late, and Marco Baroni is unlikely to make any radical changes to his lineup.

Midfielders Remi Oudin and Youssef Maleh are among those aiming to break into the Salentini's starting side on Friday night, but in attack, Milan loanee Lorenzo Colombo is set to be flanked by Gabriel Strefezza and Federico Di Francesco once again.

Samuel Umtiti's presence in the back four is in some doubt due to a shoulder injury, while fellow defenders Marin Pongracic and Kastriot Dermaku are ruled out.

Salernitana, meanwhile, may shake things up a little more, given their ongoing slump, with Davide Nicola possibly bringing in Federico Bonazzoli up front and introducing Matteo Lovato at the back; William Troost-Ekong could also make his debut.

Nicola's options are limited somewhat by the absences of Pasquale Mazzocchi (knee), Guilio Maggiore (thigh) and goalkeeper Luigi Sepe (calf), who join Federico Fazio in the treatment room and will miss the trip to Puglia.

Seven-goal striker Boulaye Dia should start in support of either Bonazzoli or Krzysztof Piatek, either of whom will lead the visitors' front line.

Lecce possible starting lineup:
Falcone; Gendrey, Baschirotto, Tuia, Pezzella; Blin, Hjulmand, Gonzalez; Strefezza, Colombo, Di Francesco

Salernitana possible starting lineup:
Ochoa; Daniliuc, Lovato, Troost-Ekong, Bradaric; Nicolussi, Coulibaly, Vilhena; Candreva, Piatek, Dia

We say: Lecce 1-1 Salernitana

Putting aside their current woes, Salernitana have proven they can cause teams trouble away from home - three wins and as many draws in 10 road trips attest to that. While Lecce's recent form is far better, they are not the most prolific side and may have to settle for a single point.

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