At 21:00 China Time on October 26, the 9th round of the 2024-25 Serie A season will see league leaders Napoli host Lecce at their home ground. Napoli has been in excellent form recently, winning consecutive matches and leading the table ahead of AC Milan, Inter Milan, and Juventus. In contrast, Lecce is currently in the relegation zone, with the lowest goals for and against averages in the league.
Since the start of the new Serie A season, Napoli’s performance has been evident for all to see. After 8 rounds, they have accumulated 19 points with 6 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss, placing them at the top of the table. However, they only lead second-placed Inter Milan (17 points) by 2 points. Following a 0-3 defeat to Verona in the first round, Napoli quickly regained their form and have won 7 out of their last 8 matches (7 in Serie A and 1 in the Coppa Italia), including recent victories such as a 5-0 win over Palermo (Coppa Italia), a 2-0 win over Monza (Serie A), a 3-1 win over Como (Serie A), and a 1-0 win over Empoli (Serie A).
Napoli’s home record in the league is impressive. They have defeated Bologna, Parma, Monza, and Como, maintaining a perfect home record, making them the only team among the 20 Serie A clubs to do so. Napoli’s ability to score late in matches is particularly strong. They have scored 15 goals in total, with 9 of those coming in the final 30 minutes of games. Lukaku and Neres have both adapted well since joining Napoli. Lukaku has played 6 league matches, scoring 3 goals and providing 4 assists, becoming a crucial attacking focal point for the team. Neres, playing as a substitute, has appeared in 7 league matches, averaging just 13 minutes per game but contributing 1 goal and 3 assists.
In terms of historical head-to-head records, Napoli holds a dominant advantage, having won 8, drawn 4, and lost only 2 out of their previous 14 matches against Lecce. In their last 4 encounters, Napoli has achieved 2 wins and 2 draws.
Lecce has had a poor start to the season, accumulating only 5 points from 1 win, 2 draws, and 5 losses, placing them 19th in the table and in the relegation zone. Lecce has been in a slump recently, suffering four consecutive defeats without scoring a single goal. These losses include a 0-2 defeat to Sassuolo (Coppa Italia), a 0-3 loss to AC Milan (Serie A), a 0-1 defeat to Udinese (Serie A), and a 0-6 thrashing by Fiorentina (Serie A). In the away matches this season, Lecce has managed only 1 draw and 3 losses, failing to score an away goal.
Lecce’s performance in both attack and defense has been disappointing. They average only 0.38 goals per game, the lowest in the league. On the defensive side, they concede an average of 2.25 goals per game, the highest in the league. Notably, in their 0-6 defeat to Fiorentina, Lecce’s main defender Gallo was sent off, meaning he will be unavailable for the match against Napoli. Given these factors, Lecce’s trip to Napoli is likely to be fraught with difficulties.
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