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Lecce plays Napoli in Round 4 of the 2019 Italian Serie A season on September 22, 2019.
Lecce
Unione Sportiva Lecce or Lecce for short, was founded in 1908 and has spent a large part of its history bouncing between the Serie A and Italy’s second division. They made their first Serie A appearance in 1985/86 and their best finish was 9th place which they achieved during the 1988/89 season. The club has a total of 15 Serie A appearances and 25 Serie B seasons which ranks them in 27th place in the all-time Serie A table. Lecce won the Serie B in 2010, Coppa Italia Serie C in 1975 and Anglo-Italian Semi-professional Cup in 1977.
Lecce is ranked 19th in Goal Difference at -4 goals. They have scored only two goals so far this season, putting them at 16th place in scoring. Lecce has conceded a total of six goals on the season, 13th overall in the Serie A. They are also in the bottom of the rankings when it comes to assists.
Marco Mancuso and Diego Farias have socred the squad’s two goals this season. Goalkeeper Gabriel has a total of 11 saves and six goals allowed in three appearances this season.
Napoli
Societa Sportiva Napoli or S.S.C. Napoli was established in 1926 but saw little success early in its history. Napoli won just one Coppa Italia until 1965 and it wasn’t until the 80s with the legendary Diego Maradona when they won several trophies. But after Maradona left, the squad struggled, was relegated and suffered financial problems. Film producer Aurelio De Laurentis refounded Napoli in 2004 and stabilized the club and put it back on the football map. Under Carlo Ancelotti last season, Napoli finished second in the Serie A final table. The runners-up enter this game as the soccer betting favorite over Lecce.
Napoli is tied for 2nd in the Serie A with their +2 Goal Difference. They currently lead the league in scoring with a total of nine goals scored this season and they are also tops in the Italian top flight with a total of eight assists this term. However, Napoli only ranks 18th in Goals Conceded with already eight in three matches played.
Forward Diego Mertens is in goal-scoring form with three goals in three appearances. Midfielder Lorenzo Insigne has two goals and a pair of assists, the latter a team-best mark. Giovanni Di Lorenzo has also added one goal and one assist for Napoli.
Who Wins?
Lecce is ranked 18th in the Italian Serie A with a record of 1-0-2 SU on the season. They are coming off a 2-1 win over Torino in their last outing. Meanwhile, Napoli has opened the 2019 season with a 2-0-1 SU record and are currently ranked fourth in the Italian Serie A. Napoli is coming off a 2-0 win over Sampdoria and surprised Liverpool with a 2-0 win in the UEFA Champions League.
Napoli looked impressive against Liverpool. They countered the English side’s attacking trio of Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino with a line-up that had four forwards. Dries Mertens converted on a penalty eight minutes before the end of the match while substitute Fernando Lorente sealed the deal with a stoppage time goal, his first goal for Napoli.
Head to head, Napoli has lost just thrice in their last 10 matches against Lecce. Napoli is 4-4-3 SU against Lecce during that period. Napoli won the last two meetings between these teams but those games were a long time ago in 2012 and 2011. Napoli is off to a good start and are coming off a UEFA Champions League win over Liverpool. I think they have the better form and momentum heading to this match-up. Prediction: Napoli
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