Fresh off ending a two-match losing run in Serie A, Lecce aim for consecutive top-flight victories in Sunday's gameweek 24 contest against in-form Bologna at Stadio Comunale Via del Mare.
Vincenzo Italiano's troops are one of the form teams in the top tier, avoiding defeat for five league encounters and eight overall, and look to extend their unbeaten 2025 run at the expense of Marco Giampaolo's men, who are not out of the relegation conversation.
Match preview
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Lecce needed Nikola Krstovic and a Santiago Pierotti brace to turn a 1-0 deficit into a 3-1 success at Parma last weekend, snapping a two-match losing run.
The upshot of that triumph for Giampaolo's men was a reprieve from the bottom three, with that success sending the Salentini four places clear of 18th-placed Parma heading into round 24; however, the Giallorossi are only three points clear of danger after 23 games.
While the only side in the bottom seven to win last weekend seek consecutive Serie A victories for the first time since April 2024 — when they got the better of Empoli (1-0) and Sassuolo (3-0) — Giampaolo will be aware of the club's three-match winless run on home soil since defeating Monza 2-1 in mid-December, with Lazio and Inter getting the better of Lupi either side of a goalless encounter with Genoa in early January.
That draw with Patrick Vieira's men and a 4-0 hammering at the hands of the defending champions mean Lecce have fired blanks in their last two fixtures in front of their supporters, highlighting the task facing the 14th-placed hosts, whose nine home goals outdo only Empoli (five).
Further worrisome for the Apulia outfit is their miserable record against Sunday's visitors, against whom they have fallen to defeats in six of the previous eight match-ups in the top flight.
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Indeed, in-form Bologna typically fare well against the Yellow and Reds, with a 10-match unbeaten run against Parma the only side the Rossoblu have a longer undefeated streak against among current Serie A sides.
Despite Italiano entering this contest having never outwitted Giampaolo in two meetings (one loss, one draw), the former Fiorentina boss is favourite to be third-time lucky at the expense of the struggling home side.
With the Greyhounds heading into Sunday as one of the form teams in the Italian top division — only Napoli (13 points), Roma (11), Inter (11) and Fiorentina (10) have accrued more points in 2025 than Italiano's men (nine) — the Emilia-Romagna outfit aim to extend their five-match undefeated run since the turn of the year (eight overall).
However, only two of those five Serie A matches have been wins, with the Rossoblu's broader ambition for consecutive European campaigns being undermined by their average away record, which has produced four wins in 11, drawing five and losing two.
Nevertheless, supporters of the seventh-placed side, three points behind sixth-placed Juventus and five adrift of Lazio and Fiorentina on 42 points, having played a game fewer than all three clubs, will believe their side are still strong contenders for the coveted continental spots.
Team News
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While Lecce can no longer call upon the services of Patrick Dorgu following the wide defender's sale to Manchester United, Lupi are also not expected to have Filip Marchwinski, Hamza Rafia, Kialonda Gaspar and Lameck Banda available due to injury.
Krstovic's three game-winning goals outdo everyone in Serie A except Inter's Romelu Lukaku (five) and Torino's Che Adams (four), highlighting the importance of the home side's seven-goal man against Bologna.
Italiano could be without the services of Jens Odgaard and Lewis Ferguson, while Riccardo Orsolini will be assessed before Bologna's visit to Apulia.
If seven-goal man Orsolini and Odgaard (four goals) miss out, the away side will rely on Santiago Castro (six), Benjamin Dominguez and Dan Ndoye (three each) to share the goalscoring burden in Lecce.
Lecce possible starting lineup:
Falcone; Guilbert, Baschirotto, Jean, Gallo; Helgason, Ramadani, Pierret; Pierotti, Krstovic, Karlsson
Bologna possible starting lineup:
Ravaglia; Calabria, Erlic, Lucumi, Miranda; Freuler, Moro; Ndoye, Fabbian, Dominguez; Castro
We say: Lecce 1-1 Bologna
Possibly without Orsolini and Odgaard, both of whom have contributed to 11 league goals, Bologna could struggle for decisive execution in the attacking third at Lecce.
Although we expect the Rossoblu to avoid defeat against Lupi, the teams could share the spoils in gameweek 24.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
