Lecce - AS Roma predictions and free betting tips [01/04/2024]

On Monday, 1st April, as part of the 30th round of the Italian Serie A, Lecce will host Roma on their home ground. The Apulians achieved their first away victory of the season, defeating Salernitana 0:1 before the international break, while the club from the capital triumphed over Sassuolo.

Lecce

Currently at the 13th position in the Serie A standings and just three points clear from the relegation zone, Lecce is still not assured of survival. In the last round, in the first match under the guidance of new head coach Gotti (who replaced D'Aversa following a disciplinary breach), the Apulian club achieved a 0:1 victory against struggling Salernitana – the game was decided by Gjomber's own goal at the very beginning of the game. This victory put an end to five matchless with CTL, however, doesn't cancel the team's poor form (only two victories in the previous 13 rounds). After the clash with Roma, Lecce awaits a meeting with Milan, however later till the penultimate round Gotti's wards will face bottom half teams, so the chances are high for the red-whites to retain their elite status. 

Indeed, the home team's performance leaves much to be desired: 19 points accumulated after 14 home matches (ranked 15th), scored 15 goals and conceded 22. More frustrating for the fans is that Lecce scored only two goals in the last six games, both of which were own goals by the opponents! Key midfielder Kaba, formerly of Valenciennes, and defender Dermaku are sidelined for the rest of the season due to injuries, just like key winger Banda (2 goals and 4 assists). The hosts' main hope lies with goalkeeper Vladimir Falcone, who has outshone all his teammates in terms of saves (97) in the current campaign. The Italian didn't allow Romelu Lukaku to score at the Olimpico in the first round, and this is the only instance amongst 15 previous instances when the Belgian didn't find the net from 12 yards.

Roma

Since the appointment of Daniele De Rossi in January, Roma transformed and currently hold the 5th position in Serie A, trailing the top four by 3 points as a result the capital club is back in contention for a Champions League spot. The Giallorossi are brimming with confidence and have won 7 of their last 9 championship matches, suffering just one defeat. After a draw with Fiorentina (2:2), the red-oranges triumphed over Sassuolo (1:0) courtesy of Lorenzo Pellegrini's solitary goal before the international break. From January, the visitors garnered 22 points in the domestic championship – only the future champion Inter (25) can showcase a better result. It's noteworthy that the De Rossi-coached wards occupy only the ninth spot in terms of away performance: 18 points gained from 14 away encounters, scored 21 goals, conceded 20. 

In the Europa League, the Romans defeated Brighton (4:1 on aggregate) in March and will face Milan in the quarterfinals. The likes of Christensen, Pellegrini, Spinazzola and the Iranian forward Azmoun are absent from Roma's roster due to injuries. English forward Tammy Abraham, who sustained a serious injury at the end of last season, returned to action at the end of March and might appear in the second half. El Shaarawy is likely to replace the injured Paulo Dybala (12 goals and 7 assists), and Romelu Lukaku (10 goals and 3 assists) will spearhead the attack.

Head-to-head

Earlier in the season, Lecce fell to Roma away from home 2:1. In addition, the underdogs couldn't seize victory in any of the previous six encounters.

Match prediction for Lecce – Roma

Despite the optimism of the hosts' supporters after Gotti's success in the match against Lecce, the Roma led by De Rossi is just a machine for grinding opponents. The Romans are vying for a Champions League spot and aren't about to drop points against a team with just a solitary victory in their last six rounds. My prediction is an away win.

Total Prediction

Roma bagged 24 goals in the recent 10 rounds – a feat second only to the league leaders Inter. The previously injured Abraham is back, so it's safe to back the visitors' individual total of over 1.5 goals.