Venezia vs Lecce - prediction, team news, lineups

Starting their latest Serie A comeback against a apt relegation rival, Venezia volition invited Lecce to Stadio Penzo connected Sunday evening.

While the Lagunari emerged from Italy's 2nd tier past term, the visitors kept their heads supra h2o erstwhile again.

Match preview

Returning to the apical formation for a 3rd clip successful six years, Venezia acceptable caller nine records for points, goals and wins successful a azygous Serie B season, pipping Frosinone to apical spot successful the table. 

Immediately demoted aft their past 2 promotions, the Lagunari are aiming to debar the aforesaid destiny this time, having made immoderate ambitious moves successful the transportation market.

Most notably, Nigeria striker Akor Adams arrived successful Venice earlier this summer, and his brace helped unafraid a 3-2 triumph implicit Modena successful past week's Coppa Italia tie.

Venezia volition soon sojourn Udinese successful circular 2 of the cup, but archetypal they look a mates of contrasting league games.

Giovanni Stroppa's broadside - who won 3 of 5 friendlies successful pre-season - are acceptable to conscionable AC Milan astatine San Siro adjacent week, aft Sunday's little daunting location fixture. 

However, past volition not beryllium connected their broadside against Lecce, who they person yet to decision successful Serie A, arsenic the Lagunari person won lone 1 top-flight opener to day - and that was mode backmost successful 1940.

While Venezia edged done to the 2nd round, Lecce mislaid their Coppa Italia necktie to ambitious Serie B broadside Palermo, pursuing 4 wins from six against reasonably humble pre-season opposition.

That was the Salentini's archetypal competitory crippled since defeating Genoa connected the last time of past season, which proved capable to unafraid a club-record 5th consecutive twelvemonth astatine Italy's apical level.

While they successfully completed their yearly Serie A endurance fight, it marked an adjacent much peculiar infinitesimal for caput manager Eusebio Di Francesco: pursuing back-to-back relegations - including 1 with Venezia - helium yet avoided the aforesaid destiny by keeping Lecce afloat.

Surely acceptable for different scrap successful 2026-27, the Giallorossi volition person past stacked precocious against them connected the opening matchday.

Not lone person Lecce won conscionable 1 of their 20 Serie A play openers, but past term's grounds of 11 defeats - and conscionable 15 goals scored - from 19 distant games whitethorn mean they fearfulness a agelong travel north.

Venezia signifier (all competitions):

Lecce signifier (all competitions):

Team News

Venezia person been engaged strengthening the squad that were crowned Serie B champions, making Adams their grounds signing, portion bringing successful Redouane Halhal and Armel Bella-Kotchap to fortify cardinal defence.

All 3 should beryllium progressive astatine immoderate signifier this weekend, alongside caller midfield brace Simon Sohm and Toma Basic.

Marin Sverko and Andrea Adorante - the second of whom scored 17 league goals past word - are not owed backmost from wounded until October, but John Yeboah (10 goals, 9 assists) is acceptable to enactment Adams up front.

Meanwhile, Di Francesco volition anticipation caller striker Willem Geubbels tin adhd immoderate overmuch needed firepower to Lecce's listless attack, aft they averaged 0.7 goals per crippled past season.

Lameck Banda volition not beryllium available, though, amid contention implicit his contract; the winger is seeking a transportation to Libya and remains absent without leave. Furthermore, Medon Berisha is simply a fittingness doubt.

Still, ever-present goalkeeper Wladimiro Falcone - who has not missed a infinitesimal of Serie A shot since the 2022-23 play - remains a reassuring beingness betwixt the posts.

Venezia imaginable starting lineup:

Stankovic; Schingtienne, Bella-Kotchap, Franjic; Correia, Perez, Busio, Basic, Hainaut; Yeboah, Adams

Lecce imaginable starting lineup:

Falcone; Veiga, Gaspar, Gabriel, Gallo; Ngom, Coulibaly, Maleh; Pierotti, Geubbels, N'Dri

We say: Venezia 1-0 Lecce 

With momentum connected their broadside from past season's Serie B occurrence and their caller cupful win, Venezia tin marque a winning commencement to the caller campaign.

Lecce deficiency a cutting edge, seldom question good and - having already mislaid a Coppa Italia necktie successful Sicily - are acceptable to endure different distant defeat.

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