Preview: Lecce vs. Torino - prediction, team news, lineups

The hosts are hoping to move away from relegation trouble while Torino have ambitions of European qualification.

Match preview

Lecce's 2-0 defeat to Inter Milan last week ended their spectacular run of results against sides in the top six.

Since the new year, the Gialloblu have taken eight points from matches against Lazio, AC Milan, Roma and Atalanta.

However, losing to Sassuolo, Salernitana and Hellas Verona, all sides who were in the bottom five at the time, shows their performance levels drop significantly against weaker sides.

With many of the clubs in the relegation battle picking up points of late, back-to-back defeats means Lecce have slipped slightly and are now just nine points clear of trouble.

Lecce were comfortably in mid-table for a decent portion of the season, but Marco Baroni's side will have one eye over their shoulder now.

Their form at the Stadio Via del Mare is a cause for concern too, as they are winless in four games here, and only the bottom two, Sampdoria and Cremonese, have fewer points on home turf this season in Serie A.

With Lecce coming into the game after consecutive defeats, Torino will be looking for back-to-back wins for the first time since October after beating Bologna 1-0 last week.

To do so, they must end a run of three successive losses on the road though, albeit all against challenging opponents.

Ivan Juric's men were unlucky in the Derby della Mole against local rivals Juventus in one of those defeats though, having led twice before succumbing to a 4-2 loss.

Form against Lecce does not offer much hope either for Torino, as they have only ever won away to their upcoming opponents once in Serie A history, back in 1994.

They will hope that Yann Karamoh can continue his excellent recent form if they are to record a second here, as the Ivorian has burst into life for the Granata.

Karamoh was barely used in the first half of the season, but he now has four goals in six games, with Victor Osimhen the only player in Serie A to have more in that time.

Lecce Serie A form:

L

W

D

W

L

L

Torino Serie A form:

D

W

L

D

L

W

Torino form (all competitions):

L

W

L

D

L

W

Team News

Defensive duo Marin Pongracic and Kastriot Dermaku are set to miss out for Lecce through injury.

However, the in-form Federico Baschirotto will return after serving a one-game suspension last weekend.

Torino's Nikola Vlasic scored the only goal for when the two sides met earlier in the season, but he will miss out here with a thigh injury.

Valentino Lazaro and David Zima both have knee injuries so will also be absent, while Pietro Pellegri is a doubt.

January loan signing Ronaldo Vieira has played just 16 minutes since arriving from Sampdoria and is another one on the treatment table.

Lecce possible starting lineup:

Falcone; Gendrey, Baschirotto, Umtiti, Pezzella; Gonzalez, Hjulmand, Maleh; Gabriel Strefezza, Ceesay, Di Francesco

Torino possible starting lineup:

Milinkovic-Savic; Singo, Djidji, Schuurs, Buongiorno, Rodriguez; Linetty, Ilic; Karamoh, Miranchuk, Sanabria

We say: Lecce 1-1 Torino

Torino have struggled to put a good run of results together all season and have frequently dropped points against sides near the bottom.

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