Lecce vs Lazio Prediction: Will Maurizio Sarri's team be stronger?

Lazio start the championship with a match against Lecce, who failed to beat them in both meetings last season. Will Maurizio Sarri's team be stronger?

The Giallorossi accomplished the task and retained their place in Serie A, finishing 16th in the last championship and five points ahead of the relegation zone. Lecce entered the new championship with a new head coach - Roberto D'Aversa was appointed instead of Marco Baroni. The team will surely become more attacking but will likely fight again for survival as the squad seems insufficiently strengthened in the off-season.

Lecce has added midfielders Youssef Maleh from Fiorentina and Mohamed Kaba from Valenciennes. Besides, they have added Wolfsburg defender Pongračić, Slovakian league forward Nikola Krstović, and Samdoria goalkeeper Vladimiro Falcone. At the same time, the most important midfield player Oskar Hulmann and the main striker Assan Sisei left.

In the first match of the new season, Lecce beat Como on their field (1:0) and reached the round of 32 of the Italian Cup. Former Rostov player Pontus Almqvist scored the only goal.

The team had a great last championship, winning silver medals and a Champions League ticket. It is clear that Lazio needs to significantly strengthen the squad for the new conditions, but this is out of the question. Moreover, a key player - Sergej Milinkovic-Savic - left Lazio for Saudi Arabia. There is no equal replacement for the Serbian at the moment. Daichi Kamada, acquired from Eintracht, is a player of a completely different plan. Gustav Isaksen and Tati Castellanos cannot be called capable of seriously strengthening the Biancocelesti.

In friendly matches before the start of the season, Lazio have three wins over significantly inferior opponents and two defeats - against Aston Villa (0:3) and Girona (1:2).

Roberto D'Aversa's football, who last worked in Serie A with Parma, is quite attacking, and with him, Lecce will surely score more but also concede more than under Marco Baroni. Considering the resultant statistics of face-to-face meetings, we'll bet on goals in the match with Lazio. As for the Romans, we don't believe in them in the new season, namely because of the lack of depth in the squad to fight in the championship and the Champions League.