Lecce vs Lazio

Lazio’s 2023/24 Serie A season kicks off at the Stadio Via del Mare against minnows Lecce.

Lecce’s comeback Serie A campaign in 2022/23 didn’t go as planned, with ‘I Giallorossi’ battling and bruising in the lower reaches all season, only to finish 16th in the standings, five points off the relegation zone. Despite guiding Lecce back to the top flight and helping them stay there for another year, former manager Marco Baroni left the hot seat in the summer, with Roberto D’Aversa taking his place. D’Aversa inspired Lecce to a narrow 1-0 win over second-tier Como on his touchline debut in last weekend’s Coppa Italia round one. Fresh off a flying start, the ex-Sampdoria tactician now bids to extend his side’s impressive three-game unbeaten H2H run against Lazio in Serie A (W2, D1). It’s worth noting those three matches featured over 2.5 goals and both teams scoring.

Meanwhile, Lazio upset the apple cart to finish runners-up to Napoli in a remarkable 2022/23 Serie A campaign, their best final placing since lifting the title in 1999/2000. Despite losing long-serving stalwart Sergej Milinkovic-Savic in the summer, ‘I Biancocelesti’ should stay competitive on multiple fronts after the arrivals of Daichi Kamada and Taty Castellanos. Lecce will put Lazio’s status as a potential dark horse for the Scudetto this season to the test, given Maurizio Sarri’s men have lost their last two league visits to Via del Mare. However, Sarri has enjoyed a winning league start in both previous Serie A seasons in charge of Lazio, not to mentioned oversaw back-to-back away wins ‘to nil’ at the back end of 2022/23.