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

The teams are separated by a point in the standings, with the visitors holding the upper hand, having lost only once in their last five matches.

Match preview

Since stepping into the Dall'Ara dugout as successor to Sinisa Mihajlovic last month, new Bologna boss Thiago Motta has steered his side to just one point from four league fixtures.

The last coach that failed to win any of his first five in charge of the Rossoblu was Pierpaolo Bisoli, back in 2011, and Motta will be keen to avoid replicating that record when Lecce come to town this weekend.

In all, Bologna have won only one of 10 Serie A matches this term, beating Fiorentina 2-1 back in September, and the Emilian club last failed to win at least twice by this stage some 19 years ago.

An obvious thread runs through such a dire run of results, as no team has dropped more points from winning positions this season - a total of 14 to date. Indeed, they have drawn four times and lost twice in games during which they have held the lead.

Last week's 3-2 defeat at leaders Napoli, though, showed a certain amount of spirit, before edging through in the Coppa Italia by beating second-tier Cagliari provided a rare taste of success, as a second-half own goal separated the sides on Thursday night.

By the time Motta leads his side out at Stadio Olimpico in January, when they meet Lazio in the cup's last-16, he will hope to have turned things around in the league. Getting the better of promoted opponents at home, then, is all but essential.

While they arrive in Emilia-Romagna marginally ahead of their hosts in the standings, Lecce have been by far the inferior side in meetings with Bologna over recent years.

The Giallorossi have won only one of the clubs' last 13 encounters; losing both times when they last locked horns in the top flight during the 2019-20 campaign. In fact, Lecce's last league win at Dall'Ara came back in 2011, so precedent is certainly not on their side this weekend.

Marco Baroni's current crop, though, have adapted to life among Italy's elite fairly well, as since achieving promotion as Serie B champions they have drawn five and won one of their 10 league fixtures.

No team has drawn more times than the Salentini this season, and they registered their third in the last five when holding Fiorentina at Stadio Via del Mare on Monday.

As a result, Lecce have lost just once on home soil this term, but the story has been quite different away from their southern stronghold. Before embarking on a tough run which sees them tackle Juventus, Udinese and Atalanta in the coming weeks, Baroni will be keen to turn such form on its head.

Bologna Serie A form:

D

W

L

L

D

L

Lecce Serie A form:

L

D

W

D

L

D

Team News

After making a number of changes for Bologna's Coppa Italia tie in midweek, Thiago Motta will revert to a more familiar lineup on Sunday, as players such as Nicolas Dominguez and top scorer Marko Arnautovic come into the starting XI.

The latter returned from injury to feature as a substitute against Cagliari, and should now start up front, with Joshua Zirkzee making way. Denso Kasius remains sidelined, so Stefan Posch and Lorenzo De Silvestri battle it out to take the right-back slot.

Riccardo Orsolini may also be promoted from the bench, but is yet to score in the league this season. Orsolini (15) and Lecce's Lameck Banda (14) are both among three players to have taken the most shots at goal without finding the net in Serie A so far.

The visitors' Gabriel Strefezza has been more successful in the final third and, with four goals to his name this term, starts in Marco Baroni's front three once again.

Lecce will have to make a change at left-back, though, as Antonino Gallo was dismissed late on in last week's draw with Fiorentina; Giuseppe Pezzella should deputise. Meanwhile, Morten Hjulmand returns from a ban and is set to feature in midfield.

Bologna possible starting lineup:

Skorupski; De Silvestri, Soumaoro, Lucumi, Cambiaso; Medel, Schouten; Orsolini, Dominguez, Barrow; Arnautovic

Lecce possible starting lineup:

Falcone, Baschirotto, Pongracic, Umtiti, Pezzella; Gonzalez, Hjulmand, Askildsen; Strefezza, Ceesay, Banda

We say: Bologna 2-1 Lecce

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