Lecce vs Parma Preview & Prediction | 2024-25 Italian Serie A
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Ahead of the 2024/25 Serie A season, these are two sides that would have expected to be struggling down at the bottom-of-the-table but both Lecce and Parma have shown signs of being a bit better than that so far.
KICK-OFF DATE/TIME: Saturday 21st September, 2024 - UK – 7:45pm / US ET – 2:45pm / US PT – 11:45am
HOW TO WATCH ON TV: UK – Not televised / US – Select matches will be televised on CBS Sports so it is worth checking their schedule
HOW TO WATCH ONLINE: UK – OneFootball / US – Paramount+
LECCE PREVIEW: LUCA’S LECCE
Last season, Roberto D’Aversa was sacked by Lecce just before the March international break with the Apulia-based club drifting towards the bottom three and the relegation places as well as being embarrassed by D’Aversa’s headbutt of Hellas Verona striker Thomas Henry. Luca Gotti came in and things have been on an upward trajectory since.
Gotti guided them to survival with ease and they will be looking to establish themselves in the middle-of-the-table this season. Back-to-back defeats in which they conceded six without scoring against Inter and Atalanta was not the best start but they now come into this one on the back of a defeat of Cagliari before a goalless draw against a strong Torino side in Turin.
PARMA PREVIEW: PROGRESSIVE PARMA
Following promotion back to the top-flight as Serie B runners’ up last season, Parma have embarked upon a season in which they are trying to surpass pre-season expectations and punch well above their weight under the management of the exciting management of Fabio Pecchia.
Parma began with a 1-1 draw against Fiorentina in which they were the better side before then defeating AC Milan by two goals to one at the Ennio Tardini. That has been followed by throwing away leads late on against Napoli and Udinese to lose but they will believe their performances were more than good enough for three points in both of those matches.
LECCE TEAM NEWS: NO KABA
Lecce have been dealing with quite a few injury issues throughout this season, potentially explaining their slow start, but there is nothing fresh to deal with.
That does mean that for the first time this season, Luca Gotti will be able to name an unchanged eleven with midfielder Mohamed Kaba still absent with an ACL injury.
PREDICTED XI (4-2-3-1): Falcone; Guilbert, Gaspar, Baschirotto, Gallo; Ramadani, Pierret; Tete Morente, Berisha, Rebic; Krstovic
UNAVAILABLE: Kaba (Injured)
QUESTIONABLE:
PARMA TEAM NEWS: SEVERAL ABSENTEES
Late summer signing from Royal Antwerp, Mandela Keita, is unavailable for this one due to suspension but goalkeeper Zion Suzuki has served his one-match ban so will return.
As well as Keita, Parma are also without the injured Mateusz Kowalski and Emanuele Valeri with Nahuel Estevez and Adrian Benedyczak both doubtful for this one.
PREDICTED XI (4-2-3-1): Chichizola; Del Prato, Balogh, Circati, Coulibaly; Adrian Bernabe, Sohm; Man, Mihaila, Cancellieri; Bonny
UNAVAILABLE: Kowalski (Injured), Keita (Suspended), Valeri (Injured)
QUESTIONABLE: Nahuel Estevez (Injured), Benedyczak (Injured)
LECCE VS PARMA PREDICTION
Both of these sides sit on four points but they have gone about that very differently with Lecce improving after a tough start against tough opposition, whereas Parma come into this on the back of back-to-back losses in which they will be immensely frustrated. Lecce have home advantage so have to take the initiative, whilst Parma play the same sort of progressive football in every game they play so both teams scoring seems a good bet for this one.
LECCE VS PARMA TIP: BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE
