With a valuable 1-1 draw at Juventus behind them and the relegation battle looming, Lecce welcomes AS Roma to the Stadio Via del Mare on Tuesday evening for the 19th matchday of Serie A. Di Francesco’s team is in 16th place in the table with 17 points, just one point behind Cagliari and two ahead of Genoa, so the gap to the bottom is razor-thin. AS Roma travels in fifth place with 33 points, level on points with Juventus and three points ahead of Como, firmly anchored in the top half of the table, but with little margin for error. In Turin, Lecce significantly exceeded expectations, with Banda capitalizing on a defensive error by Cambiaso shortly before halftime, Falcone withstanding a late period of pressure, and Juventus even missing a penalty, while Di Francesco, once again suspended, could only watch from the stands. AS Roma, on the other hand, are coming off an emotionally charged trip to Bergamo under Gasperini, which ended in a costly 1-0 defeat. The history of this fixture clearly favors AS Roma, with three wins and two draws in the last five league games, including a narrow 1-0 win here in March. It is striking that the first halves between these teams are usually cautious and low-scoring.
- Venue: Stadio Via del Mare, Lecce
- Date and time: January 6, 2026, 6:00 p.m.
- Competition: Serie A (matchday 19)
Ranieri’s team should show their class against Lecce, who exhausted themselves in Turin and now have to do without Berisha, Sottil, and Morente. This imbalance favors the tip that AS Roma will win and get off to a quick start, while the hosts’ lack of creativity supports the assumption that AS Roma will lead at halftime. The bet “Both teams to score”: No continues to be priced significantly higher than the away win itself.
Lecce Form & Record Check
Lecce goes into the clash with AS Roma in fragile but not hopeless form, with two wins, one draw, and two defeats in its last five league games. This run keeps the team just above the relegation zone, in 16th place with 17 points, one point behind Cagliari and two ahead of Genoa, so every point counts as a small survival insurance. Psychologically, the 1-1 draw in Turin was hugely important. Juventus dominated for long periods, missed a penalty and hit the post, but Falcone and a compact defense held firm, while Banda took advantage of Cambiaso’s mistake shortly before halftime. However, this resilience partly masks structural problems that became apparent in the 3-0 home collapse against Como, a clear sign of how vulnerable Lecce looks when the game turns. At the Via del Mare, the situation looks a little more favorable overall, with narrow home wins against Torino and Pisa suggesting a team that can manage close scores when the game is more controlled. In contrast, the 2-0 defeat at Cremonese showed that Lecce struggles to keep the game away from its own goal under sustained pressure or to pose a constant threat on the counterattack. The statistics reflect this mixed picture: in four of the last five league games, fewer than one and a half goals were scored at half-time, but in the end there were at least two goals in each game, and Lecce conceded after half-time in four of these games. The second halves are often lost, and not just by a narrow margin, which points to physical or mental breakdowns, especially as Di Francesco’s suspension on the sidelines makes spontaneous tactical adjustments difficult. Added to this are personnel problems, with Früchtl out of action and several midfielders and wingers missing, including Pierret, Berisha, Coulibaly, Sottil, and Tete Morente, the options between the lines are noticeably depleted. It is quite possible that Di Francesco will rely more heavily on workers such as Ramadani, Kaba, and Maleh, while Banda and Pierotti, supported by talents such as Tiago Gabriel and Camarda, will carry the creative load, which will naturally lead to fluctuations in performance.
Lecce are expected to stick with their usual 4-3-3 system, with our predicted line-up seeing Falcone in goal in front of a back four of Gallo, Gaspar, Pérez, and Tiago Gabriel. In midfield, Ramadani is likely to provide cover again, while Kaba and Maleh will act as strong-running eights, and in attack, Banda and Pierotti should come in from the wings, with Camarda as the central playmaker. This is still a predicted lineup and not an official starting eleven, but after Banda’s goal in Turin and Camarda’s encouraging form, we don’t expect any major changes. With Pierret and Berisha out and Coulibaly away on international duty, Sala or Helgason could see more minutes, and on the wings, injuries to Sottil and Tete Morente mean that Banda and Pierotti remain the clear first choice.
AS Roma Form & Record Check
AS Roma travel to the 19th matchday in fifth place in Serie A with 33 points and a goal difference of plus 8, level on points with Juventus and only three points ahead of Como, so there is little room for slip-ups. Their recent league form has fluctuated between wins and defeats, which keeps them in the race but slows down any real momentum. Their last five games in all competitions sum up this picture well, with a controlled 3-0 win at Celtic and home wins against Como (1-0) and Genoa (3-1) underlining their efficiency and assertiveness at home. On the other hand, narrow away defeats in the league at Juventus (2-1) and Atalanta (1-0) show the limitations of AS Roma when they have to chase the game against well-organized opponents, especially after conceding early goals. Statistically, there is a clear pattern: in their last five games in all competitions, they have three wins and two defeats, with not a single draw, indicating a high-risk profile. AS Roma scored in four of these matches, and the second halves remained close, with no more than one goal scored after the break in four of the five games. The team seems to place greater emphasis on controlling the game than on pure offensive power. Personnel issues also play a role here, with Ndicka and El Aynaoui missing due to international commitments, while Bove, Baldanzi, and Pellegrini are out with health or muscle problems, taking control and creativity out of the midfield phases. Nevertheless, strikers such as Dybala, Soulé, Bailey, Ferguson, and Dovbyk offer solid offensive options, so with a little more consistency in the league, the team can still be expected to compete for the top spots.
AS Roma are expected to line up in a familiar 3-4-2-1 formation under Gasperini, with Svilar in goal behind a back three of Mancini, Hermoso, and Ziolkowski. Çelik and Rensch are likely to occupy the wings, while Cristante and Koné form the central midfield. This structure keeps the team compact in the early stages and sets up attacks down the wings. Further forward, Soulé and Dybala are expected to operate between the lines behind Ferguson, giving AS Roma fluid movement and goal-scoring threat from the half-spaces. There are big question marks over the absences of Ndicka, El Aynaoui, Bove, Baldanzi, and especially Pellegrini, so the depth of creative midfielders could be limited and substitutions are likely to be conservative. This remains a predicted starting lineup and not a confirmed one.
Lecce – AS Roma Head-to-Head & Statistics
AS Roma have clearly had the upper hand in the last five encounters, with three wins and two draws and a total goal difference of 8:3. Lecce have not beaten AS Roma during this period, with their only points coming from draws in 2023 and 2024. The most recent encounter in March 2025 ended 1:0 in favor of AS Roma, once again underlining the gap between the two sides. Home advantage has done little to change the balance of power, with AS Roma winning one and drawing two of their three visits to Lecce, conceding only two goals. The results there have been close, with 1-0, 0-0 and 1-1, while AS Roma won both games at their own stadium, 2-1 in 2023 and 4-1 in 2024, in much more open games. The overall goal tally suggests that the games were fairly controlled, with four of the five encounters ending with a maximum of three goals, and more spectacular goal fests remaining the exception. Lecce conceded goals in four of these games and only kept a clean sheet once, in the goalless draw in 2024, while AS Roma scored in all games except for this 0-0 draw and usually found a way through after the break. The balance in the first halves is also striking, with all five games tied at halftime. The difference usually becomes apparent later on, with AS Roma converting this parity into a victory in the second half in three cases, while Lecce never managed to outplay the favorites after the break, which speaks for more concentration and squad depth on the part of the visitors.
