Serie A Preview: Lecce vs Milan – Team News, Line-ups & Prediction | OneFootball

Friday’s Serie A action caps off at Stadio Via del Mare as Lecce and Milan face each other in a ‘David vs Goliath’ clash. Following a dreadful round-one loss to newly promoted Cremonese, the Rossoneri travel south, seeking their first points of the season.

Lecce held Genoa to an uneventful 0-0 draw at Stadio Luigi Ferraris on matchday one. It was barely a surprising outcome, given Lecce’s habit os producing low-scoring affairs. Alongside relegated Monza, they were the only team in Serie A last season not to hit a 30-goal milestone.

With 27, they were the division’s worst-performing attack, and after losing Nikola Krstovic to Atalanta this summer, they seem destined for another season of struggle in front of goal. Perhaps the arrival of Francesco Camarda from Milan on loan could help Lecce score more frequently.

Camarda could even make his home debut against his parent club tonight, adding an intriguing subplot to this encounter. Milan cannot afford another setback after Cremonese stunned San Siro on the opening weekend, inflicting a shocking 2-1 defeat on Massimiliano Allegri’s side.

Allegri’s second tenure in Lombardy was off to an unenviable start, yet there’s time for the Rossoneri to get back on track. However, another slip-up here would only deepen the early-season crisis and raise further questions about Allegri’s ability to steer Milan back into contention for a top-four spot.

Match Preview

Lecce

After securing another season in the top flight by the skin of their teeth last season, Lecce parted ways with underperforming manager Marco Giampaolo. It is now up to new boss Eusebio Di Francesco to steady the ship and instill enough belief to keep the Salentini clear of another relegation battle.

Familiar with the surroundings, Di Francesco has returned to Apulia after 14 years to help the Giallorossi re-establish themselves as a stable Serie A outfit. To do so, they must punch above their weight. Though a fourth successive bottom-half finish seems likely, Lecce will at least try to avoid another season-long fight against the drop.

One of Di Francesco’s first assignments is to rebuild Lecce’s home fortress. Indeed, they have only won one of their last 11 home league outings (D3, L7). Friday is not an ideal day to start a renaissance, considering they’ve lost five of their seven most recent Friday-held matches in Serie A (W1, D1).

Milan

Milan’s visit threatens to make matters worse for Lecce. Allegri’s charges have historically dominated this fixture, last losing to this opposition in April 2006 (W9, D5). Furthermore, the visitors enter this clash on the back of three consecutive victories over Lecce, including a come-from-behind 3-2 win in this corresponding fixture last term.

Ending that streak with a defeat would see Milan start a new Serie A campaign with back-to-back losses for the first time since 2008/09. The chance for that is slim, considering they’ve emerged victorious from five of their last six Friday-held league games (L1). A draw, on the other hand, seems highly unlikely.

None of Milan’s last 13 away league matches have ended all square (W7, L6). Milan may maintain that trend with a win, given Allegri’s formidable managerial record against Lecce. Indeed, the 58-year-old has won eight of his last nine encounters against the Apulia club (D1), which could inspire confidence among the Rossoneri faithful.

Team News

New signing Nikola Stulic is not available for selection. Therefore, Camarda will likely feature in the starting XI, with Tete Morente set to keep him company in attack. Gaby Jean and Filip Marchwiński are on the sidelines with injuries.

Meanwhile, Rafael Leao remains on the treatment table, along with the exit-bound Alex Jimenez. Moreover, Milan lost summer arrival Ardon Jashari to a long-term injury against Cremonese. With Leao out, Allegri could turn to Santiago Gimenez again to lead the line.

After Matteo Gabbia’s unconvincing performance in round one, Koni De Winter could make his first league start for Milan.

Lecce vs Milan Potential Starting Line-ups

Lecce (4-3-3): Falcone; Veiga, Gabriel, Gaspar, Gallo; Coulibaly, Pierret, Berisha; Pierotti, Camarda, Morente.

Milan (3-5-2): Maignan; Tomori, De Winter, Pavlovic; Saelemaekers, Loftus-Cheek, Modric, Fofana, Estupinan; Pulisic, Gimenez.

Lecce vs Milan Prediction

Lecce won’t go down without a fight and will likely give Milan a run for their money. However, we expect the Rossoneri to bounce back from an early shock and head into September’s international break on a winning note.