Lecce vs Juventus - prediction, team news, lineups

Both needing points to unafraid their seasonal objectives, Serie A giants Juventus and lowly Lecce volition fastener horns astatine Stadio Via del Mare connected Saturday evening.

With conscionable three games to go, Juve are aiming to unafraid Champions League football, portion their hosts person yet to banish the menace of relegation.

Match preview

Juventus are astatine a important constituent successful their quest to suffice for Europe's apical competition, having seen their pb successful the contention for 4th spot chopped again past weekend. 

Not lone did the Bianconeri miss a bully accidental to overtake AC Milan, but fifth-placed Roma besides closed to wrong 1 constituent - and outsiders Como are inactive successful contention.

Juve could lone travel their goalless stalemate against Milan with an adjacent much disappointing draw, despite dominating against already-relegated Hellas Verona.

At location to a squad that had precise small to play for, it took a set-piece leveller from substitute Dusan Vlahovic to spare their blushes.

All is not lost, though, and Luciano Spalletti's broadside person inactive collected 19 points from the past 9 Serie A matchdays - lone Napoli person tallied much - portion conceding lone 5 goals.

Now 10 games unbeaten crossed each competitions, Juve person precocious kept 3 consecutive cleanable sheets distant from home, and this week's travel is traditionally 1 of their favourites. 

Juventus person mislaid conscionable erstwhile successful 12 league visits to Lecce truthful acold this century, and that lone decision dates backmost much than a decade.

Home oregon away, Lecce person won nary of the past 11 top-flight meetings, though they did gully 1-1 successful Turin earlier this season.

A repetition effect would beryllium invited connected Saturday, erstwhile the Salentini's latest scrap for Serie A endurance volition continue.

Aiming to unafraid a 5th consecutive twelvemonth astatine Italy's apical level, Lecce are locked successful a tense conflict with 18th-placed Cremonese to debar the last relegation spot aboriginal this month.

After picking up conscionable 2 points from their erstwhile six matches, the Giallorossi managed to surpass that meagre tally wrong 90 minutes past clip out, beating rock-bottom Pisa 2-1.

While that doomed their Tuscan hosts to the drop, they crucially moved 4 points wide of the dotted enactment with 3 matches remaining.

Over the past 5 years, lone 1 squad has been demoted aft gaining astatine slightest 32 points from 35 fixtures: Frosinone successful 2023-24, nether the guidance of Eusebio Di Francesco.

Lecce's existent manager past suffered different relegation with Venezia past season; present helium intends to extremity that rhythm of failure.

Lecce Serie A form:

L L L D D W

Juventus Serie A form:

D W W W D D

Team News

As Vlahovic returned to enactment past week, lone Juan Cabal and Arkadiusz Milik are ruled retired for Juventus.

Despite lacking match-fitness, Juve's Serbian striker whitethorn beryllium acceptable to displace the misfiring Jonathan David, though Spalletti sometimes plays a mendacious nine.

Two candidates for that relation are Jeremie Boga - who has scored 3 goals successful his past 4 distant matches - and 10-goal apical scorer Kenan Yildiz, who is inactive struggling with a persistent genu problem.

Meanwhile, Lameck Banda is Lecce's astir productive player, having posted 7 Serie A extremity involvements this play - astatine slightest 2 much than immoderate teammate. 

After scoring successful the reverse fixture, the Zambian winger should enactment Walid Cheddira up front, though the second faces contention from Nikola Stulic and Francesco Camarda.

Once again, Medon Berisha, Kialonda Gaspar and Sadik Fofana are each sidelined by injury, portion Riccardo Sottil remains a large doubt.

Lecce imaginable starting lineup:

Falcone; Veiga, Siebert, Gabriel, Gallo; Ramadani, Coulibaly, Ngom; Pierotti, Cheddira, Banda

Juventus imaginable starting lineup:

Di Gregorio; Kalulu, Bremer, Kelly, Cambiaso; Thuram, Locatelli; Conceicao, McKennie, Yildiz; Vlahovic

We say: Lecce 0-2 Juventus 

Since Spalletti rode to the rescue successful November, Juventus person had nary occupation creating chances, but converting them has sometimes proved problematic.

However, cardinal attackers are present regaining fitness, portion Lecce person been getting tighter astatine the backmost but inactive airs minimal menace up front.

For information investigation of the astir apt results, scorelines and much for this lucifer delight click here.