The final round of the Serie A season brings a high-stakes encounter to the Stadio Via del Mare, where Lecce host Genoa. For the home side, this is the most critical match of their campaign. Sitting 17th in the table with 35 points, Eusebio Di Francesco’s men are fighting for their top-flight survival. In contrast, Genoa arrive with the relative comfort of 14th place, having secured 41 points. While they have nothing left to gain or lose in the standings, the final-day atmosphere ensures this is far from a dead rubber for the hosts.
Lecce Form & Analysis
Lecce head into this decider with momentum after a thrilling 3-2 victory away at Sassuolo last time out. It was a chaotic, end-to-end performance where Walid Cheddira bagged a brace and Nikola Štulić struck a dramatic late winner. That result was vital, but it also highlighted the defensive vulnerabilities that have plagued them all season, having now gone three matches without a clean sheet.
Manager Eusebio Di Francesco faces a nervous wait regarding his squad's fitness. The club has reported that Berisha, Sottil, Banda, Pierotti, and Ramadani have all been working on differentiated programmes this week. With survival on the line, Di Francesco is expected to push for his strongest available XI, but these lingering doubts in attack and midfield could force his hand. The home crowd will be desperate for a repeat of the attacking intent shown against Sassuolo, as anything less than a win could leave them vulnerable to the results elsewhere.
Genoa Form & Analysis
Daniele De Rossi’s Genoa side are ending the season in a mid-table lull, having failed to win any of their last four league matches. Their recent 2-1 defeat at home to Milan saw them struggle to contain the opposition, and they will be without Vitinha for this trip to Lecce due to a one-match suspension.
The injury picture remains a concern for De Rossi, with Messias continuing his rehabilitation and doubts lingering over the availability of Cornet, Norton-Cuffy, and Ostigard. Despite the lack of league pressure, Genoa will likely aim to end their campaign on a positive note. Their recent away form has been resilient, with back-to-back goalless draws at Fiorentina and Atalanta showing they can frustrate opponents even when their own attacking output is limited.
## Head-to-Head
History suggests this is a tight, low-scoring fixture. Genoa have enjoyed the upper hand in recent meetings, boasting an unbeaten run of four matches against Lecce. However, the last three league encounters between these two have been incredibly cagey, featuring two goalless draws and a narrow 2-1 win for Genoa.
We Predict: Both Teams To Score
Lecce have no choice but to throw caution to the wind as they hunt for the points required to stay up. While their defence has been leaking goals, they have shown a recent knack for finding the back of the net under pressure. Genoa, though playing for pride, have enough quality in transition to exploit the gaps left by a desperate home side. Given the stakes and the defensive frailty on display for the hosts, we expect both sides to get on the scoresheet.
We predict Both Teams To Score 2.1031, with a likely scoreline of 1-1.
