Serie A Preview: Lecce vs Juventus – Team News, Lineups & Prediction

Second-half goals from Lameck Banda and Walid Cheddira saw Eusebio Di Francesco’s side end a dreadful six-game winless sequence (D2, L4), returning to winning ways at the best possible moment. However, the job is not yet done, as the Giallorossi face a tricky run-in, with a pair of difficult games against Sassuolo and Genoa on the horizon. Needless to say, this is the most challenging fixture remaining on their schedule, with under-pressure Juventus arriving in Apulia desperate to consolidate their place in the top four.

Dusan Vlahovic slotted home a stunning free-kick on his return from injury last week, but it was merely enough for a point against already-relegated Hellas Verona. Juventus fans booed out-of-sorts striker Jonathan David on his way out, refusing to hide their frustration as Luciano Spalletti’s men compromised their Champions League ambitions. Sitting just a point clear of fifth-placed Roma, Juventus cannot afford another disappointing result here if they’re to stave off growing pressure in the race for a top-four finish and keep their destiny firmly in their own hands.

With Fiorentina and Torino their next rivals, the Bianconeri know there is little margin for error heading into this ‘David vs Goliath’ clash. Match Preview Lecce Stretching their three-game unbeaten run (W1, D2) feels almost imperative for Lecce, as nearest rivals Cremonese face Pisa, suggesting the Giallorossi could be sitting a whole lot more uncomfortably come the end of play on Sunday. However, they start this meeting as massive underdogs for a good reason, having lost their six previous home league matches against current top-seven clubs without scoring.

Speaking of Lecce’s bleak prospects in this showdown, they have yet to win a single Serie A game against a team starting this round in the upper half of the standings this term (D4, L14). If it’s any consolation, three of those four draws came in Apulia, where they’ve avoided defeat in four of their last six league matches (W2, D2). Unsurprisingly, Juventus have been a bogey team for Lecce, with the Giallorossi going winless in their last 11 clashes against the record-time Italian champions (D4, L7).