Lecce - Udinese predictions and free betting tips [13/05/2024]

On Monday, 13th of May, as part of the 36th round of the Italian Serie A, Lecce will host Udinese at their home pitch. Lecce can secure their safety from relegation with a win, whereas the Zebras desperately need all three points, being two points adrift from the safe 17th place.

Stadium

The duel will take place in Lecce at the Stadio Via del Mare.

Lecce

Currently occupying the 13th spot on the Serie A table, Lecce stand 7 points clear from the relegation zone with three matches remaining, thus having a good chance of remaining within the elite division. The Apulian squad managed to pick up a good spring streak: over the last seven rounds, manager Luca Gotti's team only lost to Milan while winning three times and drawing thrice. After crucial victories over Empoli (1:0) and Sassuolo (0:3), Lecce shared points with Monza (1:1) and Cagliari (1:1) last weekend.

Forward Nikola Krstovic played a key role in the club's improved results, directly contributing to goals in each of the last three matches. And in general, the team managed to keep four clean sheets in the previous seven rounds. It's also worth noting that Lecce have achieved the 13th highest home-points haul in the division, with 24 points from 17 home matches, scoring 17 goals and conceding 23. 

Udinese

Udinese haven't had the best of seasons and avoiding relegation will be a tall order. The Friulians currently find themselves in 18th place in the Serie A table, two points adrift from safety. The visitors have not won any of their last seven matches (3 draws and 4 losses): after three narrow losses (to Inter, Verona, and Roma), the Black and Whites managed to hold Bologna to a 1:1 draw and then Napoli last weekend. The 18 draws Udinese have had in this campaign are not only the highest among the top five European leagues but also the most for the club in the last 41 years.

Furthermore, no team has lost more points due to goals conceded in the final 20 minutes of matches (18). Only Salernitana, who are already relegated to Serie B, have earned fewer points against teams in the lower half of the table than Fabio Cannavaro's men. However, in terms of away points gained, the Striped ones claim a respectable 13th spot in the league (17 points in 17 fixtures). Head-to-Head

Match prediction: Lecce vs Udinese

Only one of the last 15 Serie A meetings at the Via del Mare between these teams has ended in a draw, and there hasn't been one since 2008. That pattern could be broken tonight, especially given the Bianconeri's reputation for draws in Italy. Along the same line, the hosts have drawn three out of their last six league games.

Over/Under prediction

Both teams grasp the importance of avoiding defeat in this encounter, so an open game packed full of goal-scoring chances seems unlikely. I predict total goals under 2.5.

Corners prediction

The battle will mainly take place in midfield and getting to threatening positions near the goal won't occur frequently. I predict total corners under 8.5.

Yellow cards prediction

Both teams are driven by a survival instinct and usually receive more than two yellow cards per game. I expect the referee to hand out at least four bookings.

Score prediction

I predict a final scoreline of 1:1.