Two teams wey dey fight for Serie A survival go clash at Stadio Via del Mare on Monday, as Lecce host Fiorentina. The pair don dey take different roads for recent weeks, with the Viola dey climb clear of danger and their ailing hosts dey sink into the drop zone.
Despite beating Crystal Palace 2-1 for the night, Fiorentina latest Conference League campaign reach im end on Thursday evening, as dem lose their quarter-final tie 4-2 on aggregate. With mountain to climb after the first leg for London, Paolo Vanoli men at least restore some pride back at Stadio Franchi, but thoughts go now turn to stay afloat for Italy top flight.
The Viola dey close in on safety thanks to significant uplift: last week 1-0 home victory over Lazio – secured by the heroics of captain David de Gea – extend their domestic unbeaten streak to five matches. That move them further even away from the relegation places, and with six rounds remaining dem dey in complete control of their own destiny.
Remarkably, Fiorentina don almost triple their points average across the last nine league fixtures, with only reigning champions Napoli and Scudetto favourites Inter Milan claim more points during that period. Now, after back-to-back 1-0 wins, the Tuscan club fit record three consecutive Serie A victories for the first time since February 2025 – and recent history suggest dem fit do so.
Across their last five visits to the Via del Mare, dem don prevail three times while posting aggregate score of 13-5. Amid Fiorentina mid-season struggles, Lecce come out on top for this season reverse fixture, with Medon Berisha lone strike prove enough to secure success at the Franchi.
The Salentini fit really do with repeating that result on Monday evening, as four straight defeats don send them back into the drop zone – dem don win three of their previous five. Familiar struggle to find the net don return, as Eusebio Di Francesco side don do so just once during that downturn – no team don score fewer goals across Europe top five leagues this season.
With the bottom two surely doomed – and Cagliari and Fiorentina both dey threaten to pull clear – e look likely say Lecce go fight Cremonese to avoid finishing 18th for the final Serie A standings. Following last week 2-0 loss for Bologna, the Giallorossi don beat 11 times for 16 outings this calendar year, dey tend to crumble whenever dem concede first.
Along with Cremonese, dem don gain the fewest points from losing positions – only one so far – and that go concern Di Francesco, who dey face the prospect of adding yet another relegation to his CV.
Both Niccolo Fortini and long-term absentee Tariq Lamptey still dey unavailable, while Fiorentina top scorer Moise Kean continue to search for full fitness. Kean and versatile wide man Fabiano Parisi remain doubts, but Dodo go return after serving UEFA suspension and injured midfielder Marco Brescianini don resume training.
Meanwhile, Lecce still dey without Berisha, Francesco Camarda and Kialonda Gaspar; on-loan winger Riccardo Sottil fit miss out on meeting his parent club because of persistent back problem. Togo international Sadik Fofana just suffer serious knee injury and fit dey sidelined for several months.
Without Camarda, misfiring strikers Nikola Stulic and Walid Cheddira go vie for selection up front – dem don score just four league goals between them this season.
Though fatigue fit be factor after another midweek commitment, Fiorentina dey in fine form and fit exploit their hosts understandable nerves. Lecce last score for mid-March – 357 minutes of Serie A football don come and go since – and that lack of firepower go cost them again.
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