Lecce – Sassuolo : Preview & Prediction
Despite losing their last two Serie A (SA) matches to Juventus (1-0) and Napoli (4-0), overall it has proved to be a successful start to the new campaign for Lecce, who began the day in seventh place and just a few points off the European places. That’s a far cry from last season, when they failed to win any of their first six games and ultimately narrowly survived relegation, with a terrible home record a major culprit, winning just three times (E8, P8) at home, the second fewest among all teams.
But this time around, Lecce have already won three of their four home league games (P1), a promising start if they are to turn the Stadio Via del Mare into a fortress. That streak could prove difficult to extend with the visit of Sassuolo, as Roberto D’Aversa’s side are enduring a six-match winless run against their turnaround rivals dating back to 2010 (E3, P3), including a 1-0 defeat in this fixture corresponding to last season.
A surprise loss by that same 1-0 scoreline to Monza would not have been great preparation for this upcoming SA match for Sassuolo, who were already struggling to produce consistent positive results throughout this campaign. It was precisely that problem that derailed their 2022/23 season, which ultimately ended with a disappointing 13th place finish for Alessio Dionisi’s side.
Preseason expectations were boosted after a plethora of first-team signings signaled their intention to return to European competition for the first time in several years. Improving their away league performance remains of paramount importance if a top six finish is the objective, although hopes for a second consecutive away success should be high after they surprisingly beat Inter Milan 2-1 in their last away fixture to end a run of seven away games in SA without a win (E1, P6).
Players to watch: New Lecce signing Nikola Krstović scored three goals in six appearances for SA, the last two of which came in the first ten minutes. Similarly, Sassuolo’s Andrea Pinamonti has four goals for SA this season, three of which came before the half-hour mark.
Key stat: At least one goal has been scored in Sassuolo’s last 41 SA games.
Lecce – Sassuolo : Betting Tips
Lecce – Win Odds: 2.25
