Lecce v Napoli Match Result
According to the Serie A title odds, Napoli now have an 83% chance of becoming champions for the fourth time in their history. It would be a remarkable achievement although Antonio Conte has a strong track record when it comes to winning silverware. They head to Lecce on Saturday and they have a 64% chance of getting three points to keep clear of an Inter side who have hit the buffers domestically.
Napoli are helped further by the fact that Inter are embroiled at the business end of the Champions League, although the former have only won just over 50% of their away games in Serie A. They are unbeaten in their previous eight clashes and the past three have ended in victory, with a 1-0 triumph at Monza sandwiched by home wins against Empoli and Torino.
What is quite telling is that Conte’s side are looking rock solid defensively. Since conceding an equaliser away to Bologna, they haven’t let a goal in and it could be worth considering a bet to nil when it comes to Napoli this weekend. It has been Scott McTominay to the rescue in recent games and the Scot was at the double against Torino last Sunday.
Can Lecce potentially get something from this game? Since winning 3-1 away to Parma at the end of January, they have failed to win a single match. There have been four draws and seven defeats and that is reflected in their huge odds to win this game. However, they did claim a recent point away to Atalanta which was unexpected.
That was preceded by a 3-0 home defeat against Como, with goals being a problem for Marco Giampaolo’s side. Therefore, they will surely look to keep things tight and perhaps it could be worth wagering Napoli to land a 1-0 or a 2-0 success if you think they’re going to win.
Goals Under/Over
Under 2.5 Goals is trading as the marginal favourite out of the two options and it’s easy to see why. We actually think the 1.80 about two goals or less being scored makes plenty of appeal. After all, Lecce are crucially short in front of the net and they have managed a lowly twelve goals in the space of seventeen games in front of their fans.
When you bear in mind that they’re facing a side who are enjoying a run of clean sheets, they will surely look to put a defensive game plan into effect. Therefore, this is going to be far from spectacular. We even think you might consider going Under 1.5 Goals if you think that Napoli will either be held to a goalless draw or alternatively the game finishes 1-0 to either side.
BTTS
Following in a similar vein to the above, the BTTS No price is roughly 1.70 and that looks a pretty fair quote. Backing this option covers the goalless draw along with a win to nil for either side. We think that Napoli and BTTS No is probably the best bet to make for this Serie A clash. They are hard nosed going for the title right now and will want to achieve a professional performance.
When the teams met on Saturday 26 October at the Diego Maradona Stadium, the game finished 1-0 in favour of Napoli and it’s easy to see a repeat. On that occasion, the Azzurri had eight shots on target and their opponents only registered two. However, it wasn’t until Giovanni Di Lorenzo scored in the 73rd minute that the deadlock was broken.
The past three Napoli matches have all been BTTS No although three of the previous four Lecce encounters have resulted in BTTS Yes. The home side will be heartened by that draw away to Atalanta although they didn’t have too much of the ball and ended up with roughly 25% possession.
First Goalscorer
Scott McTominay wasn’t ever prolific at Manchester United, although he did score some important goals. However, the Scot has achieved higher scoring powers this term. He has bagged fifteen in all competitions and there have been an incredible five in the previous three encounters. He bagged a brace against Empoli and followed this up with the winner at Monza before another brace to help sink Torino.
McTominay clearly boasts a presence from set pieces and the bookies have shortened his First Goalscorer prices in recent weeks. His former Manchester United team-mate Romelu Lukaku has worked with Antonio Conte in the past and the Belgian appears highly motivated for a title-chasing Napoli side. The forward has bagged six in the previous nine encounters and might well be on spot kick duties for his team.
Frank Anguissa could be an interesting outsider, with Jesper Karlsson looking the most likely player to score for Lecce. The Swede is on loan from Bologna and converted a spot kick at Atalanta, although it’s hard to get excited about too many of the players for the home side.