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

Knowing relegation would be confirmed if they lose on Friday night, Pisa must beat fellow strugglers Lecce to prolong their Serie A survival fight for at least a few more days.

Surely doomed in any case, the Nerazzurri will be mathematically demoted should they be beaten at Cetilar Arena; meanwhile, their visitors have a more realistic chance of staying afloat.

Match preview

After succumbing to a late goal in Parma last week, Pisa remain rock bottom of the Serie A standings, needing a minor miracle to avoid the drop.

Even if the Tuscan club overcome Lecce in Friday's crucial showdown, they would still be sent straight back to Serie B if Cremonese then defeat Lazio on Monday.

So, having returned to Italy's elite after a three-decade absence, the Nerazzurri are now staring at a sixth demotion in eight top-flight campaigns, including both of the last two - 1988-89 and 1990-91.

Oscar Hiljemark's side have recently lost their last five matches while only scoring one goal, and no team across Europe's top five leagues has won fewer times this season.

Having inherited a struggling squad, head coach Hiljemark has made little impact since he was appointed in February, and Pisa have posted just two wins from 17 home games so far.

All of which leaves them requiring maximum points from four remaining fixtures - and even that unlikely turn of events might not be enough to survive.

By contrast, Lecce's hopes of Serie A salvation lie within their own hands, as their quest to secure a fifth straight year at Italy's top level nears its climax.

Locked in a tense battle with 18th-placed Cremonese, the Salentini sit just above the drop zone after picking up a precious point from last week's high-stakes clash with Hellas Verona.

Though they failed to beat one of the three teams ranked below them, drawing 0-0 at Stadio Bentegodi means that Lecce just need to match Cremo's results over the final four matchdays.

That may be easier said than done, though, as Eusebio Di Francesco's side have only taken two points from their last six fixtures while scoring a meagre two goals.

Remarkably, they have only found the net 10 times from open play all season; lacking a regular marksman, their last eight Serie A strikes have been registered by different players.

That list includes Serbian striker Nikola Stulic, who grabbed the winner when Pisa visited Stadio Via del Mare in December - a repeat this week would bring relief to anxious fans of the Giallorossi.

Pisa Serie A form:

W L L L L L

Lecce Serie A form:

L L L L D D

Team News

While Matteo Tramoni, Marius Marin and Daniel Denoon will be missing again, Pisa may recall Nigerian striker Rafiu Durosinmi.

After being ruled out of last week's loss to Parma, the latter can vie with Filip Stojilkovic and Henrik Meister to partner six-goal top scorer Stefano Moreo.

In defence, Arturo Calabresi was dropped for Rosen Bozhinov at Stadio Tardini, but Hiljemark could reverse that switch this weekend.

Meanwhile, Lecce are set to bring Tiago Gabriel straight back into their starting XI, after the much-admired defender served a suspension in Verona.

Medon Berisha, Kialonda Gaspar and Sadik Fofana are all sidelined by injury, while winger Riccardo Sottil is still struggling with a back problem.

In better news for the visitors, Milan loanee Francesco Camarda recently completed his return from a long layoff, and Santiago Pierotti has resumed full training after a minor muscular issue.

Pisa possible starting lineup:

Semper; Caracciolo, Canestrelli, Calabresi; Leris, Vural, Aebischer, Akinsanmiro, Angori; Moreo, Meister

Lecce possible starting lineup:

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

We say: Pisa 1-0 Lecce

A tense contest between two of the lowest-scoring teams in Europe's top five leagues will be decided by a single strike.

Both sides have scored more than half their goals from set pieces, and that route may help Pisa prevail; while it may be too late to save them from relegation, defeat could prove very costly for Lecce.

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