Lecce vs Bologna prediction: ITALY: Serie A betting tips on match 2023-12-02 11:30.
The decision to appoint Roberto D’Aversa as Lecce boss for this season seems to be paying dividends so far, as the perennial strugglers are currently at least three points better off than at the same stage of any of their four prior top-flight seasons this century. That’s despite their failure to see out a lead twice in their 2-2 draw away in Verona, in which they welcomed their fans back from the final international break of 2023 in typically topsy-turvy style.
That point is perhaps best illustrated by the fact that Lecce have failed to win three of their five Serie A (SA) games when scoring first this season (W2, D2, L1), although they have also avoided defeat in five of their eight when conceding the opener (W1, D4, L3)! The home faithful will hope for a more straightforward game on home soil, where Lecce have picked up 11 of their 15 points en route to building a six-point gap to the drop zone ahead of the round.
After suffering their first defeat since the opening round with a 2-1 loss to Fiorentina just prior to the international break, Bologna bounced back to take all three points against Torino (2-0) and subsequently occupy a European place at the conclusion of Round 13. Only one top-half side had scored fewer than Bologna’s 15 league goals ahead of this round, but their success has largely been built on solid defensive foundations, with only the top two conceding fewer than their ten SA goals.
Bologna’s lofty position is even more of an enigma when considering the fact that they’re yet to win an away league game (D5, L1). Just one of those stalemates saw Bologna pick up a point from a losing position, although securing draws at the home of Inter and Juventus should inspire confidence that the elusive road victory is just around the corner.
Players to watch: Alexis Blin has proven invaluable for Lecce by assisting a goal in both of his games since returning from injury. One more goal contribution here will match his best tally in a league season since moving to Italy. Perhaps even more crucial for Bologna, Joshua Zirkzee has scored one-third of his side’s league goals this season (G5) and has registered goal contributions in five of his last six appearances.
Hot stat: Lecce boss Roberto D’Aversa has faced Bologna more often than any other side as a manager without ever winning (D3, L5).