Napoli vs Lecce Preview & Prediction | 2023-24 Italian Serie A
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The 2022/23 Serie A winners have embarrassed themselves throughout the campaign but are still in the hunt to salvage European qualification on the final day of the season.
KICK-OFF DATE/TIME: Saturday 26th May, 2024 – UK – 17:00 / US EST – 12:00 / US PST – 10:00
HOW TO WATCH ON TV: This match will be televised live on TNT Sports in the UK. / This match will be televised live on CBS in the US.
HOW TO WATCH ONLINE: This match will be streamed live via the TNT Sports app in the UK. / This match will be streamed live via Paramount+ in the US.
NAPOLI PREVIEW: THE FALL OF THE CROWN
Aurelio Di Laurentiis is an owner that causes more problems than he solves and after Napoli, with no influence from the president, won the title last year, Luciano Spalletti departed the club in acrimonious circumstances, admittedly circumstances not necessarily out of character for the now Italy manager, but his replacements have severely underpinned just how good Napoli were last year.
The first to go was Rudi Garcia before Walter Mazzarri made things a lot worse and now Maurizio Sarri’s former assistant, Francesco Calzona, who will be managing Slovakia at UEFA EURO 2024, has Napoli beginning this final day sitting tenth in the table. Their 2-2 draw with Fiorentina last weekend means they have won just three matches in 16 games across all competitions.
LECCE PREVIEW: MID-TABLE LECCE
After losing Marco Baroni to Hellas Verona last summer, Lecce plumped for Roberto D’Aversa and after a strong start they soon plummeted into the relegation battle that was only ended when D’Aversa was dismissed in March for headbutting Verona forward Thomas Henry and he was replaced by Luca Gotti.
The southerners have been steady and calm since then and have eased themselves away from the bottom three and the relegation places. They come into this one on the back of back-to-back 2-0 defeats against Atalanta and Udinese, extending their winless run of form to four matches since pretty much securing survival earlier this month.
NAPOLI TEAM NEWS: HAS OSIMHEN PLAYED FINAL NAPOLI GAME?
Nigeria international Victor Osimhen, who has been outstanding since moving to Naples from Lille, has openly discussed the possibility of moving to the Premier League this summer and he will miss the final day of the season with an injury.
PREDICTED XI (4-3-3): Meret; Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Ostigard, Olivera; Anguissa, Lobotka, Cajuste; Politano, Raspadori, Kvaratskhelia
UNAVAILABLE: Osimhen (Injured), Rui (Injured), Zielinski (Injured)
QUESTIONABLE:
LECCE TEAM NEWS: GENDREY JOINS INJURY LIST
Luca Gotti has been entirely focused on Lecce being extremely strong at the back and that has been reflected in team selection and the fact that they have preferred a flat 4-4-2 system. One change will need to made with an injury to right-back Valentin Gendrey.
PREDICTED XI (4-4-1-1): Falcone; Esposito, Baschirotto, Pongracic, Gallo; Almqvist, Blin, Ramadani, Dorgu; Rafia; Krstovic
UNAVAILABLE: Gendrey (Injured), Sansone (Injured), Banda (Injured), Dermaku (Injured)
QUESTIONABLE: Kaba (Injured)
NAPOLI VS LECCE PREDICTION
Napoli will be hoping to get through this season without yet another humiliation. They do have the hope of squeezing themselves into the UEFA Europa Conference League because a defeat of Lecce and a Torino loss in Bergamo against UEFA Europa League winners Atalanta will allow the Neapolitans to squeeze into the top nine. Lecce have seemingly checked out so, whilst difficult to back Napoli at any stage in the last four months, they simply have to win this one.
NAPOLI VS LECCE TIP: NAPOLI TO WIN
