Only one point separates Serie A strugglers Como and Lecce ahead of their final fixture of 2024, as they prepare to meet at Stadio Sinigaglia on Monday.
Both sides went into Christmas with a defeat to one of Italy's leading clubs, but now they will target maximum points against a relegation rival.
Match preview
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After Como staged a grand finale to beat Roma on home turf earlier this month, they made the short trip to San Siro last week, in hope of toppling reigning Serie A champions Inter Milan.
Despite putting up plenty of resistance, the Lariani were ultimately undone by goals at either end of the second half, as their dismal away form continued - they have accrued just six points from 10 league games on the road this term.
With only one win since September, the ambitious club sit perilously close to the drop zone, so head coach Cesc Fabregas will hope his side's more positive run of results in Como can continue.
They have been beaten just twice in seven matches at Stadio Sinigaglia since earning promotion back to the big time, having had their first home fixture delayed by redevelopment at their lakeside headquarters.
However, the last time the Lariani won successive Serie A matches on home turf was way back in November 1988 - the second of which was incidentally against Lecce - and finally repeating that feat would lift them two points above their southern counterparts.
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While Lecce's last league defeat to Como came some 30 years ago, down in Serie B, they have never before won at Stadio Singaglia in either of Italy's top two divisions - this will be their 12th attempt.
The Salentini head north with a one-point advantage over their relegation rivals, having experienced an upturn under new coach Marco Giampaolo, who has guided them out of the bottom three since his arrival.
Last time out, they battled bravely with 10 men throughout the second half of a 2-1 home loss to Lazio. Tete Morente's fine finish seemed to have secured an unlikely point, but the Biancocelesti then scored a late second, before Mohamed Kaba almost equalised again when striking the crossbar.
Nonetheless, Lecce have now found the net at least once in each of their last six matches, after producing just four goals from the first 11 this season.
Now, they will aim to produce a second away win, or at least to avoid their 20th Serie A defeat of the year: one more loss would equal a club record set in 2005 and again six years later.
Team News
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After Cesc Fabregas switched to a three-man central defence to tackle the might of Inter in Milan, he should revert to a more familiar 4-2-3-1 formation on Monday, when either Patrick Cutrone or current incumbent Andrea Belotti will start up front.
The hosts are still without Maximo Perrone and Alessandro Gabrielloni due to injury, but full-backs Marco Sala and Alberto Moreno may both be available following a layoff.
Set to join Alieu Fadera and rising star Nico Paz in the sole striker's supporting cast, Gabriel Strefezza played 54 Serie A matches for Lecce and scored nine league goals during his stay in Salento.
Meanwhile, the visitors are missing Mergim Berisha, Lameck Banda and Kialonda Gaspar, but Antonino Gallo has resumed full training and could even start.
Gallo would replace the versatile Patrick Dorgu at left-back, but with Frederic Guilbert suspended after being sent off for stopping a goal-bound shot with his arm against Lazio, Dorgu might be deployed on the right.
Certain to feature at the heart of the Giallorossi's defence, Federico Baschirotto has played more minutes than any other outfield player in Serie A throughout 2024 (3330), having closed 2023 with an even higher total of 3475.
Como possible starting lineup:
Reina; Van der Brempt, Dossena, Kempf, Moreno; Da Cunha, Roberto; Strefezza, Paz, Fadera; Belotti
Lecce possible starting lineup:
Falcone; Dorgu, Baschirotto, Jean, Gallo; Coulibaly, Ramadani, Rafia; Pierotti, Krstovic, Morente
We say: Como 2-1 Lecce
Of teams inside the bottom half of the table, attack-minded Como have attempted the most shots, while only Parma and Empoli have conceded more than Lecce this season.
Having acquitted themselves well against Roma and Inter in recent weeks, the Lariani should therefore beat opponents that rarely travel well.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Jonathan O'Shea
