Last-placed Lecce will aim to move off the foot of Serie A on Friday, when they welcome Empoli to Stadio Via del Mare.

The Salentini have won only twice this season, scoring just four goals; in contrast, their Tuscan counterparts occupy a place in mid-table by virtue of a fine defensive record.

Match preview

Before last week's win over Hellas Verona, Lecce's previous success had come way back in August, and they had gone more than 400 minutes without a goal before finally scoring.

Luca Gotti's men also kept a rare clean sheet, having just suffered a chastening streak of four straight defeats for the loss of 11 goals; however, there was more frustration for fans of the Salento side on Saturday.

Shipping a late goal in Bologna cost them a point, so they slipped to the bottom of the Serie A standings on goal difference.

Including the end of last season, Lecce have scored only four goals across their last 14 league fixtures, failing to find the net 11 times in the process; also conceding an average of 1.7 goals per game during that spell has produced a dire run of results.

If the Giallorossi can edge out Empoli, they would finally win back-to-back home matches for the first time since September 2023, demonstrating the full extent of their struggles.

Nonetheless, in 21 Serie A matches as Lecce coach, Gotti - who steered them to safety after arriving midway through last season - still averages one point per game; meanwhile, his predecessor Roberto D'Aversa recorded an average of 0.89.

D'Aversa returns to Via del Mare eight months after his sacking for violent conduct at the end of a game against Verona, but the current Empoli boss will believe he has since redeemed himself by forging a solid team in Tuscany.

His side's defensive discipline has helped them to within a whisker of the top half of the table, having kept a clean sheet in five of their 11 league outings so far this season.

Not only does that record equal the club's best tally at this point of a top-flight campaign, but only Juventus and Napoli have posted more - reigning champions Inter Milan and local rivals Fiorentina also have five.

While it has clearly been a collective effort, ex-Nice centre-back Mattia Viti has made more tackles (21) than anyone else in Serie A this season.

Empoli's 'goals against' column still reads nine after Monday's 1-0 win over Como, and the last time they had conceded so few at this stage was back in 2006, when they went on to finish seventh - though D'Aversa would surely be content with avoiding another relegation fight.

Dating back to last term, the Azzurri have lost only one of their last seven away matches - including a Coppa Italia win over Torino - while scoring on each occasion. Therefore, they have every reason to be confident before heading down to Lecce.

Team News

Lecce are again without the services of Medon Berisha, Kevin Bonifazi, Rares Burnete and Filip Marchwinski due to injury, while French midfielder Balthazar Pierret is a major doubt because of a muscular problem.

Despite his team's lack of goals, Luca Gotti should persist with his preferred attacking trident, with Lameck Banda and Danish winger Patrick Dorgu - a reported target for several Premier League clubs - on either flank.

Banda's last Serie A goal came against Empoli, back in December 2023, while Dorgu and Montenegrin striker Nikola Krstovic have both netted twice in the league this season, accounting for the Salentini's entire tally between them.

Meanwhile, Empoli can welcome back Georgian defender Saba Goglichidze, who served a suspension against Como, but Roberto D'Aversa will still be missing several players.

Szymon Zurkowski, Samuele Perisan, Tyronne Ebuehi, Saba Sazonov, Sebastiano Esposito and Jacopo Fazzini are all ruled out - the latter sustained an injury in training before Monday's match.

Once again, Pietro Pellegri and former Lecce loanee Lorenzo Colombo will vie to lead the line up front; Pellegri's winning goal last time out may give him the edge.

Lecce possible starting lineup:
Falcone; Guilbert, Gaspar, Baschirotto, Gallo; Coulibaly, Ramadani, Rafia; Dorgu, Krstovic, Banda

Empoli possible starting lineup:
Vasquez; Viti, Ismajli, Goglichidze; Gyasi, Maleh, Henderson, Anjorin, Pezzella; Solbakken; Colombo

We say: Lecce 1-1 Empoli

Lecce's only loss from five previous top-flight home games against Empoli came back in 2006, and they should continue that trend on Friday evening - providing they can convert their chances.

While the Azzurri's defence has stood firm this season, they may be tempted to press forward against ailing opponents, and their hosts have the potential to counter-attack.


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