Hellas Verona vs. Lecce, a relegation battle

A big six-pointer is in store at the Bentegodi, where Hellas Verona and Lecce are set to meet in a 15:00 CEST kick-off. Despite sitting in a relatively comfortable position, the hosts will be looking for their first win since 15 March to put any remaining doubts to bed. The Salentini, who have five fewer points than their next opponents and are dangerously close to the relegation zone, need to turn their form around. Having picked up just two points from their last ten matches, they risk being overtaken by those behind them.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

After avoiding defeat in nine successive games (W6 D3), Hellas Verona lost their last Serie A match against Lecce (0-1 in the reverse fixture) and could suffer back-to-back defeats against the Salentini for only the second time in the competition (2001). Lecce have never won against Hellas Verona in nine Serie A matches on the road (D4 L5), against no team have the Pugliesi played more away games in the competition without winning (nine also against Genoa).

CURIOSITA'

Hellas Verona have lost their last three league matches without scoring, the last time the Gialloblù suffered four defeats in a row in Serie A was between last November - December. Additionally, the last time that they lost four successive matches whilst also failing to score was in March 2014 under Andrea Mandorlini. Hellas Verona have failed to score in 10 of their 17 home games in Serie A this season and could fail to find the net a record amount of times on home soil in a single top-flight season if failing to do so once more (10 also in 1988/89). Lecce are winless in their last 12 league games (D4 L8), with their last win coming in January against Parma on the road (3-1). Their previous longest run came between November 1997 - March 1998 (16 in a row in that case). In their first six Serie A away games under Marco Giampaolo, Lecce have earned nine points (W3 D3, for an average of 1.5 per match) and were 6th in terms of away points in this period. However, in the last five away matches the Salentini have only picked up two points, better only than Monza (0). Lecce have the fewest scorers in the current Serie A season (7), with the last side to end a top-flight season with seven or fewer scorers being Sampdoria in 2003-04 (seven). Hellas Verona have conceded 28 goals in the first half of Serie A matches this season - 20 more than Lecce. It’s the most across Europe’s big five leagues this season, ahead of Hoffenheim on 27.

PLAYERS

Daniel Mosquera has scored each of his five goals in Serie A this season as a substitute; the most of any player who have netted 100% of their goals as a substitute across the big five European leagues this season. Since his debut in Serie A (2022-23), Federico Baschirotto has played 109 games, starting each of those. In that period, the Lecce defender is the outfield player who has played the most minutes in the top-flight: 9775 (ahead of Sebastiano Luperto, with 9,603).

DISCIPLINE

Suspended: none Cautioned: Suslov, Duda, Kastanos (Verona); Pierotti, Rafia, Ramadani, Morente (Lecce)

REFEREE

MARESCA (ROSSI C. – MORO) IV: SACCHI, VAR: DOVERI, AVAR: DI BELLO

UPCOMING MATCHES IN SERIE A

Hellas Verona-Como Lecce-Torino (Photo Getty Images)