The Matchday 22 fixture in Serie A between Lecce and Inter will take place on January 26 at the Via Del Mare Stadium. Lecce vs. Inter: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Referee: Livio Marinelli (Italy)
Matches – 9 (Serie A, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 31;
Average yellow cards per match – 3.4;
Red cards shown – 3;
Average fouls per match – 25;
Penalties – 22%.
Predicted lineups for Lecce vs. Inter
Lecce (4-3-3): Vladimiro Falcone – Patrick Dorgu, Federico Baschirotto, Gabi Jean, Frederic Guilbert – Lassana Coulibaly, Balthazar Pierre, Thorir Johann Helgason – Santiago Pierotti, Nikola Krstovic, Tete Morente.
Inter (3-5-2): Yann Sommer – Benjamin Pavard, Stefan de Vrij, Carlos Augusto – Denzel Dumfries, Nicolo Barella, Piotr Zielinski, Kristjan Asllani, Federico Dimarco – Lautaro Martinez, Mehdi Taremi.
Each team's starting lineup from their last match in this tournament is listed.
Lecce
Marco Giampaolo's side suffered a heavy 1-4 defeat away to Cagliari in the last round. As a result, Lecce recorded their 11th loss of the current championship, with five of those defeats being by at least a three-goal margin. In the standings, the team sits 17th with 20 points, just one point clear of the relegation zone. Notably, Lecce has scored only 15 goals this Serie A season, the worst tally in the league.
Defenders Antonino Gallo and Kialonda Gaspar, midfielders Hamza Rafia and Medon Berisha, and forward Lameck Banda will miss out due to injuries. Forward Ante Rebic is suspended.
- The club has not lost in 5 of their last 6 home matches in Serie A (2 wins, 3 draws).
- The team has not conceded more than one goal in 5 of their last 6 home encounters in the league.
- Lecce has scored exactly one or two goals in 5 of their last 6 home games in Serie A.
Inter
In the previous round, Simone Inzaghi's men overcame Empoli at home with a 3-1 victory. As a result, Inter extended their unbeaten run in the league to 15 matches (12 wins, 3 draws). Moreover, the club has scored at least three goals for the tenth time this Serie A season. The Milan side is second in the standings with 47 points, three points behind leaders Napoli with a game in hand. Notably, Inter, with 51 goals, is the most prolific team in the current championship.
Defender Yann-Aurel Bisseck and midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu will miss the match due to injuries.
- The club has not been defeated in their last 11 away matches in Serie A (8 wins, 3 draws).
- The team has kept clean sheets in their last six away games in the league.
- The Milan side has not scored more than one goal in the second half in 6 of their last 9 away Serie A matches.
Lecce vs. Inter: Match Prediction
Bright attacking football and high scoring are not hallmarks of Marco Giampaolo's side. Lecce has adopted a defensive strategy and rarely creates many chances even at home: in the last 17 home matches in Serie A, the team has scored more than one goal only twice. In eight instances during this stretch, they didn't score at all. Meanwhile, Lecce often plays solidly in defense: in 5 of their last 6 home league games, they conceded a maximum of one goal.
From Inter, I do not expect a high-scoring game in this fixture – with a tight schedule due to their Champions League commitments, the team might lack energy. Moreover, in both of their last away encounters, Simone Inzaghi's men did not show their attacking prowess: they won 1-0 against both Venezia in Serie A and Sparta Prague in the Champions League. Defensively, Inter has long been solid, boasting a six-match clean sheet streak away in the league.
Considering all circumstances, I do not anticipate many goals in this match, so my prediction: Total under 3 goals
