Lecce remained in the bottom three as they lost to Inter last time out and the Salentini are in desperate need of a win to improve their position in the standings. Udinese remained in fourth place as they beat Catania at home, and the Zebrette are hoping to continue their impressive run of results.

Three defeats in a row

Even before the season started Lecce were tipped as one of the main candidates for the drop and it didn’t take long for everyone to realize the predictions were spot on. The Salentini would record occasional victory at their Via del Mare, but they were unable to notch up few good results in a row and they now deservedly sit in the bottom three. After showing some improvement in February, Lecce quickly returned to where they belong by losing last three league games and they now face an uphill struggle to avoid the drop. The team are really low on confidence at the moment, and they have no choice but to attack Udinese, which is likely to backfire on them since the Zebrette are probably the best counterattacking side in Italy. On top of that, the hosts will be missing quite a few first team regulars, so I wouldn’t be surprised if they lose this game as well.

Giacomazzi misses out through suspension, while Chevanton, Ofere, Giuliatto and Sini are out through injuries.

Udinese on fire

Udinese were always regarded as the side that can cause a couple of upsets against the title contenders during a season, but the Zebrette were never as impressive as this term. They have really hit the ground running under Francesco Guidolin and have been guilty of some amazing results in the current Serie A campaign. The four-match winning run saw them climb to the fourth place in the standings and the prospect of Champions League football is likely to keep the players very motivated in the closing stages of the championship. While Udinese continue to play well at home, their performances on the travels have simply been amazing, with the Zebrette winning their last five away games, scoring no less than 20 goals in the process. Scoring goals looks like an easy task when you have players like Toto Di Natale and Alexis Sanchez in the side, with Lecce defenders set for a very difficult task in this match.

Almen Abdi should deputize for the suspended Giampiero Pinzi, while Basta, Feronetti and Angella remain doubtful.

Verdict

Lecce enter the game on the back of three straight defeats, so the hosts are likely to face a tough task against the best counterattacking side in Italy, especially as they will have to attack in search of points needed to survive. Considering the way Udinese have been playing lately, nobody would be surprised if they win 6th straight away game.

Our prediction: Away win

Odds: 1.80 (4/5)

Bookmaker: Paddy Power