Preview: Lecce vs Udinese - prediction, team news, lineups

Without a win in eight Serie A matches, relegation-threatened Lecce will welcome mid-table Udinese to Stadio Via del Mare on Sunday.

The Salentini are in serious danger after scoring just twice this year, while their visitors have moved into the top half by posting back-to-back wins.

Match preview

Still winless in 2026, Lecce were beaten for the fourth time in five games last weekend, losing 1-0 to an ailing Torino team who had just lost four on the spin.

Having previously picked up a point from a gritty home draw with Lazio - ending their own streak of four straight defeats - Eusebio Di Francesco's side were left empty-handed in Turin.

That result left Lecce in 17th place - just one point above the drop zone - and continued an acute scoring crisis.

The Salentini have failed to find the net in any of their last four fixtures, and they are the league’s lowest scorers with just 13 Serie A strikes all season.

It is no surprise, then, that they have gained the joint-fewest points since the start of the year - two from seven matches - which has allowed several clubs to catch up.

So, securing a fifth straight year in Italy’s top flight could depend on improving their home form: Lecce have only won twice in 12 league games at the Via del Mare.

Having also lost four of their last five at home to Udinese, precedent suggests they might struggle to start that process on Sunday.

Home or away, Udinese have won all of the last four meetings, including a 3-2 victory in October’s reverse fixture.

More pertinently, the Bianconeri will head south in confident mood this weekend, after posting back-to-back league wins for the first time since September.

A 3-1 away victory over Hellas Verona lifted them into the top 10, and they consolidated that position by beating Roma 1-0 in Udine.

Jurgen Ekkelenkamp’s heavily deflected free-kick proved enough to edge out the top-four contenders, leaving the Fruili club in ninth place on 32 points.

Across the last 12 years, only once have Udinese accrued more points at this stage of a season, and another win on Sunday would see them hit their best mark after 24 matches since 2013.

Replicating his first year in charge, head coach Kosta Runjaic has produced a tight-knit team that should comfortably secure their objective of a safe mid-table finish.

Now, after victories in Verona and Turin, they have a chance to record three consecutive away wins in Serie A for the first time since 2022.

Lecce Serie A form:

L L L L D L

Udinese Serie A form:

L W D L W W

Team News

Lecce started recent arrival Walid Cheddira up front against Torino - albeit without any success - as Di Francesco sought a solution to his side’s scoring woes.

Joint-top scorer Nikola Stulic - who has just two Serie A goals - could be ready to challenge Cheddira after recovering from a bruised foot, but AC Milan-owned striker Francesco Camarda will be sidelined until April.

Midfielder Medon Berisha is the hosts’ only other absentee, but Udinese will have several men missing on Sunday.

Most notably, Keinan Davis - who has 10 goal involvements this season - limped off with a thigh injury on Monday and may be unavailable until next month.

Alessandro Zanoli recently suffered an ACL injury, joining Polish pair Adam Buksa and Jakub Piotrowski on the treatment table.

Although Davis is out of action, his strike partner Nicolo Zaniolo returned with a cameo appearance against former club Roma, so the Italy forward could now be ready to start.

Lecce possible starting lineup:

Falcone; Veiga, Gabriel, Siebert, Gallo; Coulibaly, Ramadani; Pierotti, Gandelman, Banda; Cheddira

Udinese possible starting lineup:

Okoye; Bertola, Kristensen, Solet; Ehizibue, Atta, Karlstrom, Ekkelenkamp, Zemura; Zaniolo; Bayo

We say: Lecce 1-1 Udinese

These sides are in contrasting form, but Lecce need the points much more and should be primed for a fight.

If the hosts can end their goal drought, a defence that has conceded just twice in four games can largely keep Udinese at arm's length - particularly in the absence of Davis.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.