Preview: Parma vs. Lecce - prediction, team news, lineups

Still winless in Serie A, bottom-placed Lecce travel to Parma in Saturday's gameweek six contest, aiming for a positive result at Stadio Ennio Tardini.

With Lupi winning on two of their previous visits to the Tardini across multiple competitions, the travelling supporters will hope for another encouraging outcome as they strive to end this season's wait for maximum points.

Match preview

After a slow start, Parma finally secured their first top-flight win at the fifth time of asking in last week's 2-1 victory over Torino.

Mateo Pellegrino scored twice, either side of a Cyril Ngonge equaliser for the Turin visitors, thus ending a four-match wait for maximum points, which sees the Emilians start round six in 14th place, six ahead of cellar-dwelling Lecce.

Carlos Cuesta’s team secured their first league victory on the back of a Serie A draw with Cremonese and a Coppa Italia win, albeit needing penalties to see off Spezia last week, bringing them to three matches without defeat across all competitions.

With two of those games coming in the top flight, the Emilians aim to extend their league run without losing to three matches, a feat last achieved between March 8 and April 28 this year during a seven-game unbeaten streak.

While the only victory during that run was a 1-0 win over Juventus in Emilia-Romagna, a similar streak will undoubtedly make Cuesta's team look up and not down the table in the early-season standings.

Parma cannot afford to look that far ahead, though, especially considering their recent disappointing results against Lecce at the Tardini.

Having won consecutive meetings across a seven-year span in 2013 and 2020, the Apulians have since avoided losing in their three recent visits, claiming a Coppa Italia victory in August 2021, playing out a scoreless draw in Serie B in March 2022 and securing a 3-1 victory in January this year.

A similar outcome will undoubtedly please the travelling supporters, who have seen their side suffer three defeats and pick up two draws in their opening five gameweeks.

Eusebio Di Francesco took over a side that ended last season losing one of their final five Serie A games and accruing seven points from their final three league matches; however, they have yet to find any joy in the top flight ahead of round six's visit to Emilia-Romagna.

Their poor start has been undermined by conceding 10 goals, more than every other club in the division, although their four goals scored surpass six teams, including Parma with three.

Facing one of the league’s worst attacks, the Salentini will aim for a positive outcome at a ground where recent results have been favourable, looking to end a five-month wait for success in Serie A.

Parma Serie A form:

Parma form (all competitions):

Lecce Serie A form:

Lecce form (all competitions):

Team News

Although they came through the Torino win unscathed, Parma must navigate Saturday's fixture without the injured Hernani (ankle), Lautaro Valenti, Matija Frigan and Jacob Ondrejka.

Benja Cremaschi is on international duty with the United States' Under-20 squad at the ongoing World Cup, where he scored three and assisted two in a 9-1 annihilation of New Caledonia on September 30

Pellegrino, however, is the forward to watch this weekend, after scoring twice in the victory over Torino — his second brace of the season after his heroics in the mid-August Coppa Italia win against Pescara — and he aims to be decisive in consecutive rounds.

Missing for Lecce due to international duty, Matias Perez, who was always unlikely to play any part, is with the Chile Under-20 side.

Di Francesco's team are expected to be without Balthazar Pierret, Filip Marchwinski and Gaby Jean, while Antonino Gallo will be assessed after going off injured in the 69th minute of the previous draw against Bologna.

Medon Berisha was in fine form in that 2-2 draw, assisting one goal and creating two big chances, as Lupi avoided a fourth consecutive league defeat against last season’s Coppa Italia champions.

Francesco Camarda came off the bench to score a 94th-minute equaliser in that fixture, becoming Lecce's youngest scorer in Serie A history and the youngest in the current campaign (17 years and six months).

Parma possible starting lineup:

Suzuki; Del Prato, Circati, Ndiaye; Britschgi, Estevez, Ordonez, Sorensen, Lovik; Benedyczak, Pellegrino

Lecce possible starting lineup:

Falcone; Kouassi, Gasper, Gabriel, Ndaba; Coulibaly, Ramadani, Berisha; Pierotti, Stulic, Morente

We say: Parma 1-0 Lecce

Despite a slow start, Parma are unbeaten at the Tardini in all competitions this season, which bodes well ahead of Lecce’s visit.

While the visitors have not lost in three visits to the Tardini, the Emilians are in slightly better form this time, placing them in a strong position to end that drought by securing back-to-back top-flight wins this weekend.

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