Empoli will face a crucial game this weekend as manager Aurelio Andreazzoli's side take on Lecce.
Although Empoli have made some progress in the Fiorentina league, they still have a lot of work to do in their Serie A relegation battle, with the first task being to pick up points.
Lecce sit four places above Empoli in the standings and have made a good start to the first five rounds with three wins and two draws under former Parma boss Roberto Davisa.
However, the recent back-to-back defeats have seen them drop to mid-table after 14 rounds. It is worth noting that Lecce have always scored at least 1 goal in 6 7 of their most recent Serie A matches.
Empoli are still missing some key players when they host Lecce, including Giuseppe Pezzella and Tommaso Baldanzi.
These two players have been among Empoli's most consistent performances this season and their absence will undoubtedly have an impact on Empoli's fighting power.
Lecce's young striker Jeppe Kofizen missed the game due to injury and his absence will further weaken Lecce's attack.
However, the return of winger Nicola Sansone could bring some extra explosiveness to Lecce.
Looking at the recent head-to-head record between the two sides, we can find an interesting phenomenon: in the last few meetings between the two sides, neither team playing at home has been able to keep a clean sheet.
In addition, both sides have shown some goalscoring ability in recent games, but there have also been plenty of games in which the number of goals has not been more than 2.
Football expert Alex Rolls** this game is likely to end in a draw, he believes that the two teams are evenly matched and it will be difficult for the game to be outcome.
However, he also pointed out that when the two teams are evenly matched, a goal draw is good for both sides in the relegation battle.
The stats show that Lecce have always scored at least 1 goal in 6 7 of their most recent Serie A matches despite their poor recent results.
This suggests that their attacking power is still there, despite some problems defensively.
To sum up, the outcome of this game will depend on the offensive and defensive performances of both sides, as well as the fitness of the players.
Empoli have home field advantage but have not performed well;Lecce, on the other hand, excelled in attack but had some problems defensively.
Therefore, the Expert** match will end in a draw with a score of 1-1.