Pisa vs Lecce - prediction, team news, lineups

Knowing relegation would beryllium confirmed if they suffer connected Friday night, Pisa indispensable bushed chap strugglers Lecce to prolong their Serie A endurance combat for astatine slightest a fewer much days.

Surely doomed successful immoderate case, the Nerazzurri volition beryllium mathematically demoted should they beryllium beaten astatine Cetilar Arena; meanwhile, their visitors person a much realistic accidental of staying afloat.

Match preview

After succumbing to a precocious extremity successful Parma past week, Pisa stay stone bottommost of the Serie A standings, needing a insignificant occurrence to debar the drop.

Even if the Tuscan nine flooded Lecce successful Friday's important showdown, they would inactive beryllium sent consecutive backmost to Serie B if Cremonese past decision Lazio connected Monday.

So, having returned to Italy's elite aft a three-decade absence, the Nerazzurri are present staring astatine a sixth demotion successful 8 top-flight campaigns, including some of the past 2 - 1988-89 and 1990-91. 

Oscar Hiljemark's broadside person precocious mislaid their past 5 matches portion lone scoring 1 goal, and nary squad crossed Europe's apical 5 leagues has won less times this season.

Having inherited a struggling squad, caput manager Hiljemark has made small interaction since helium was appointed successful February, and Pisa person posted conscionable 2 wins from 17 location games truthful far.

All of which leaves them requiring maximum points from 4 remaining fixtures - and adjacent that improbable crook of events mightiness not beryllium capable to survive.

By contrast, Lecce's hopes of Serie A salvation prevarication wrong their ain hands, arsenic their quest to unafraid a 5th consecutive twelvemonth astatine Italy's apical level nears its climax.

Locked successful a tense conflict with 18th-placed Cremonese, the Salentini beryllium conscionable supra the driblet portion aft picking up a precious constituent from past week's high-stakes clash with Hellas Verona.

Though they failed to bushed 1 of the 3 teams ranked beneath them, drafting 0-0 astatine Stadio Bentegodi means that Lecce conscionable request to lucifer Cremo's results implicit the last 4 matchdays.

That whitethorn beryllium easier said than done, though, arsenic Eusebio Di Francesco's broadside person lone taken 2 points from their past six fixtures portion scoring a meagre 2 goals.

Remarkably, they person lone recovered the nett 10 times from unfastened play each season; lacking a regular marksman, their past 8 Serie A strikes person been registered by antithetic players.

That database includes Serbian striker Nikola Stulic, who grabbed the victor erstwhile Pisa visited Stadio Via del Mare successful December - a repetition this week would bring alleviation to anxious fans of the Giallorossi.

Pisa Serie A form:

W L L L L L

Lecce Serie A form:

L L L L D D

Team News

While Matteo Tramoni, Marius Marin and Daniel Denoon volition beryllium missing again, Pisa whitethorn callback Nigerian striker Rafiu Durosinmi. 

After being ruled retired of past week's nonaccomplishment to Parma, the second tin vie with Filip Stojilkovic and Henrik Meister to spouse six-goal apical scorer Stefano Moreo.

In defence, Arturo Calabresi was dropped for Rosen Bozhinov astatine Stadio Tardini, but Hiljemark could reverse that power this weekend.

Meanwhile, Lecce are acceptable to bring Tiago Gabriel consecutive backmost into their starting XI, aft the much-admired defender served a suspension successful Verona.

Medon Berisha, Kialonda Gaspar and Sadik Fofana are each sidelined by injury, portion winger Riccardo Sottil is inactive struggling with a backmost problem.

In amended quality for the visitors, Milan loanee Francesco Camarda precocious completed his instrumentality from a agelong layoff, and Santiago Pierotti has resumed afloat grooming aft a insignificant muscular issue.

Pisa imaginable starting lineup:

Semper; Caracciolo, Canestrelli, Calabresi; Leris, Vural, Aebischer, Akinsanmiro, Angori; Moreo, Meister

Lecce imaginable starting lineup:

Falcone; Veiga, Siebert, Gabriel, Gallo; Ramadani, Coulibaly; Pierotti, Gandelman, Banda; Stulic

We say: Pisa 1-0 Lecce

A tense contention betwixt 2 of the lowest-scoring teams successful Europe's apical 5 leagues volition beryllium decided by a azygous strike. 

Both sides person scored much than fractional their goals from acceptable pieces, and that way whitethorn assistance Pisa prevail; portion it whitethorn beryllium excessively precocious to prevention them from relegation, decision could beryllium precise costly for Lecce.

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