Verona vs Lecce

Fighting to secure their place in Serie A, Hellas Verona and Lecce face off at Stadio Bentegodi this Sunday.

Verona hold a five-point advantage over their southern rivals, but Lecce are in deeper peril, languishing just below the relegation line with only three matches left.

Just when it appeared Verona might safely cross the finish line to remain in Italy’s top tier, they’ve stumbled, dropping their last three league games without finding the net.

Postponing confirmation of their Serie A status for next season, the Scaligeri managed a scoreless draw at home against Genoa but then fell to Roma, Cagliari, and, most recently, Inter Milan—their last goal came in early April.

Under Paolo Zanetti’s guidance, Verona have failed to score in 10 of their 17 home matches this season, and another goalless outing would break an unwanted club record, eclipsing a low set in 1988-89.

Last week, Inter’s penalty in the ninth minute sealed Verona’s fate, highlighting their season-long struggle with early concessions, which often leaves them chasing games after halftime.

They’ve let in 28 first-half goals—20 more than Lecce—marking the worst such record among Europe’s top five leagues. Still, a win this week could all but guarantee their survival.

Historically, Verona dominate Lecce, remaining unbeaten in nine league encounters before a 1-0 loss in October’s away fixture, while staying undefeated at home against them.

Lecce have never triumphed at Verona in Serie A, earning just four draws, but they’ll be desperate to break that streak this weekend.

It’s been some time since the Salentini secured a victory anywhere in Italy, winless in their last 12 league matches—a drought stretching back to a 3-1 win at Parma in January.

In their latest outing, Lecce lost 1-0 to table-toppers Napoli at a chaotic Via del Mare, where fireworks and protests briefly halted the game, leaving them in serious trouble.

With only two points from their last 10 matches, Marco Giampaolo’s side have slid into the drop zone, putting their three-year run in Italy’s top flight at risk.

Depending heavily on striker Nikola Krstovic’s shoot-on-sight approach to pull them clear, the Giallorossi have the fewest goalscorers in Serie A this season (seven), so others must step up to avoid relegation.