After going winless in their last four outings, Empoli will fancy their chances of snapping that streak when they host Lecce at Stadio Carlo Castellani for round 20 of Serie A.
The Azzurri currently sit 12th in the standings with 20 points from 19 matches, holding a three-point cushion over the visitors, who remain rooted in the drop zone, only propped up by Venezia and Monza in 19th and 20th, respectively.
Match preview
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Empoli head into this weekend's clash on the back of a 1-1 draw against Venezia, with Sebastiano Esposito's 32nd-minute equaliser rescuing a crucial point for Roberto D'Aversa's side, who had been staring down the barrel of a fourth consecutive defeat after falling behind to an early Joel Pohjanpalo strike.
Having halted their losing streak with that result, the Tuscany-based outfit will be eager to push on in search of a better outcome in their next game, with the aim of putting an end to their four-match winless run.
They might not find a more favourable opponent than a struggling Lecce side that have only managed to avoid defeat in two of their nine Serie A away fixtures.
Empoli's record against the visitors offers further encouragement heading into the weekend, having won three of the five top-flight meetings between the sides at the Castellani while remaining unbeaten in such encounters.
However, the hosts' struggles on their turf raise concerns over their chances of securing all three points, with just one win from nine top-flight matches and only seven points claimed from a possible 27 - the third-worst record in the league.
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What had seemed like a gradual resurgence for Lecce following the appointment of head coach Marco Giampaolo is now showing signs of unravelling, with recent results beginning to weigh heavily.
The Italian manager, appointed on November 11 after the dismissal of former head coach Luca Gotti, made a strong start to his tenure, picking up seven points from a possible 12, but he has now gone three games without a victory, including a goalless draw against Genoa in their most recent outing.
Despite an improvement since Giampaolo's arrival, with the team averaging 1.14 points per game compared to the 0.75 they collected during their first 12 matches under Gotti, Lecce remain deeply entrenched in the relegation battle.
The Salentians' struggles this season have largely stemmed from their disappointing form on the road, where they have collected just four points from a possible 27 — the second-worst away tally in the division — and scored only two goals, the fewest of any side.
Team News
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Nicolas Haas and Pietro Pellegri remain sidelined for the season as they recover from ACL injuries, while Ola Solbakken is also nursing a shoulder problem that is expected to keep him out until late January.
Lorenzo Colombo is likely to lead the line for the hosts once again, aiming to end his recent dry spell, having gone two league matches without finding the net.
For the visitors, Hamza Rafia remains sidelined with a muscle injury, while Kialonda Gaspar is ruled out for the season with an ACL issue and Medon Berisha (muscle) is a doubt for Saturday's clash..
On a brighter note, Giampaolo welcomes Lameck Banda back to training following his recovery from an ankle injury sustained in November, though the Zambian winger is unlikely to feature in the starting XI this weekend.
Empoli possible starting lineup:
Vasquez; Goglichidze, Ismajli, Viti; Gyasi, Anjorin, Grassi, Pezzella; Maleh, Esposito; Colombo
Lecce possible starting lineup:
Falcone; Guilbert, Baschirotto, Jean, Dorgu; Coulibaly, Pierret, Kaba; Karlsson, Krstovic, Morente
We say: Empoli 2-1 Lecce
Neither side carries much momentum into this encounter, with Empoli struggling at home and Lecce enduring similar difficulties on their travels.
Given the lack of form from both sides, a closely contested match is expected, though Empoli are more likely to have the edge, having won three of the last five meetings between the sides at the Castellani.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Adeyeye Oluwapelumi
