After a fantastic 2018/19 campaign, Fabio Liverani guided his Lecce side to promotion back to Serie A after a seven-year absence when finishing second in Serie B.
Having earned promotion through a difficult start to their Serie B campaign, Lecce will be keen to avoid a repeat this season. However, the first ten games include a number of the top flight’s biggest sides.
To battle this, Lecce have bolstered their squad, clearly looking to add plenty of depth that could help them stay afloat.
The difficult start to last season was halted when they scored an injury time winner over Venezia which invigorated the passionate Puglian crowd. With record season ticket sales of 17,000, the fans are doing their part and realise the task at hand.
Summer Dealings – 6/10
They have added both youth and experience to the squad and have done so in all areas of the pitch. Bringing in a number of defenders including the experienced Luca Rossettini, and tying up a permanent deal Panagiotis Tachtsidis, while Romario Benzar is a big signing from FCSB in Romania.
As well as two forwards in Simone Lo Faso from Palermo and ex-AC Milan man Gianluca Lapadula.
Key Man – Andrea La Mantia
While Lecce scored the second most goals in Serie B last season, La Mantia played a huge part in that. The 28-year-old scored 17 goals in 33 appearances last season and will look to continue to score and hopefully keep his side afloat.
If La Mantia is given chances this season, he will be looking to hurt the opposition and if partnered with Lapadula, they can create a very interesting duo that can cause problems.
One to watch – Simone Lo Faso
Lo Faso signed from Palermo due to the Sicilian club being sent down to Serie D for financial irregularities. The 21-year-old will be looking to finally make his mark on Italian football after struggling to get into the Rosanero side.
He is a fantastic talent and if he is given his chance, he will look to show that he can play in the top flight and this season, could be his time to show exactly that.
The Coach – Fabio Liverani
Under Liverani, Lecce have been a great side to watch. Always on the front foot, defence included, and while this may not be the ideal for Serie A, he likes to play football the right way.
He favours a 4-3-1-2 with a player linking the play between midfield and attack. Last season, they lost only eight games with the expansive style of play working well. However, they are rather open to conceding too and he may have to look at adapting his formation slightly.
Prediction – 20th
If Lecce fail to pick up many points in the first ten games, it will be backs against the wall for rest of the season. A win against Hellas Verona in the second match of the season could prove pivotal to their season as a whole.
Source: forzaitalianfootball.com