Verdict: Napoli win
Best odds: 1/2
Betting house: Luckster
Hoping to make it back-to-back Serie A wins on Tuesday night, Napoli will travel to Apulia when they take on a struggling Lecce side.
Lecce
Starting with the hosts, while Lecce might have eventually held on to their Serie A status most notably last season, it is no secret that the Salento side are almost universally considered a leading relegation candidate this time around. After suffering a heavy 3-2 defeat to Udinese over the weekend, Eusebio Di Francesco’s men have recorded just one win in any of their first 10 appearances in all competitions. Despite coming into the October international break with a 1-0 win against Parma, it appears it was only a small boost for the Apulia-based team. Seeing their Coppa Italia adventure come to an end on September 23 when they lost 3-0 at the hands of AC Milan, Lecce will prepare for another tough test here.
Lecce team news
Both still dealing with their respective knee injuries, Lecce will once again be without the duo of Filip Marchwinski and French defender Gaby Jean on Tuesday night. Coming off the bench and scoring a consolation goal against Udinese over the weekend, Ivory Coast international Ronan Ndri could make his first start of the season.
Now in his third campaign in Puglia, former Aberdeen star Yiber Ramadani will start in the middle of the park. Still waiting to open his account after completing a permanent summer move from Belgian side Charleroi, Nikola Stulic could fall to the bench.
Naples
As for the visitors, who suffered a public European nightmare last week when they finally lost 6-2 to PSV, Napoli returned to the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium with enormous pressure on their shoulders. However, despite facing another heavyweight challenge at home, Antonio Conte’s side produced a sensational performance. The former Tottenham manager, who powered his way to a 3-1 victory against historic rivals Inter Milan, also saw his team rocket back to the top of the Serie A table. Despite smelling a golden opportunity here, the reigning Italian champions have earned an unwanted reputation for their prolonged problems away from home. Closing out September with a 2-1 loss against AC Milan, Conte’s side have lost each of their previous four consecutive appearances away from Naples by an aggregate score of 11-3.
Naples team news
Still without making a single appearance so far this season, Belgian international Romelu Lukaku remains on the sidelines with a thigh problem. Similarly, due to a recent groin problem, Napoli are also expected to be without Manchester United loanee Rasmus Hojund on Tuesday night.
Kevin De Bruyne, who converted from the penalty spot against Inter Milan on Saturday and made an immediate impact after completing a summer move from Manchester City, will play a prominent role in the middle of the park. Despite still waiting to open his Serie A account, David Neres could once again play a central role.
Lecce vs Napoli Key factors to consider
- The last time Napoli traveled to Apulia on May 3, the reigning Italian champions claimed a 1-0 victory.
- As well as winning four of their last five meetings, Napoli are also unbeaten in their previous six meetings against the hosts on Tuesday.
- However, Napoli have lost their last four consecutive away games by an aggregate score of 11-3.
- Lecce have recorded just one win in any of their first 10 appearances in all competitions.
- Surprisingly, the Salentos have managed just one Serie A victory in front of their own fans so far this calendar year.
Conclusion
Napoli, who got an immediate response over the weekend by claiming a convincing 3-1 victory against Inter Milan, will be dreaming of repeating their performance here. Although the reigning Italian champions might have continued to show some glaring problems on the road, Conte’s team will rightly be sniffing out a golden opportunity in midweek. With a 1-0 win on their last trip to Apulia on May 3, we expect a similar result on Tuesday night.
Verdict: Napoli win
Best odds: 1/2
Betting house: Luckster
