Empoli vs Lecce Predictions

• Empoli have failed to score in three of their last seven matches, failing to win any of their last eight.
• Lecce have failed to score in four successive games, losing all four.
• Empoli and Lecce have both scored just 24 goals in 27 Serie A outings this campaign – only the league’s bottom four have scored fewer.

Empoli and Lecce in freefall

The dreadful campaigns endured by Serie A’s current bottom three Cremonese, Sampdoria and Verona threaten to make the battle to avoid relegation a foregone conclusion, but if the latter of that trio can put together a decent run, Empoli and Lecce may not yet feel safe. Sitting in 14^th and 15^th respectively, both sides lost their last four games in a row prior to the international break, leaving them in need of a victory when they face off on Monday.

Empoli are winless in their last eight games after they squandered a one-goal lead in their 2-1 defeat at Atalanta last time out. They have failed to net in two of their last four – losing all of those games – with Napoli and Udinese winning to nil on recent trips to the Stadio Carlo Castellani. Paolo Zanetti’s side have hit just 12 goals in 13 home league outings this term, while their tally of 24 Serie A goals all campaign is worse than all but four teams – and is matched by Lecce.

Anything Empoli can do, it appears Lecce can do worse. Marco Baroni’s visitors have also lost four successive games, though they have also failed to net a single goal during that run. While Inter Milan, Torino and Fiorentina represent difficult opponents, Lecce have failed to even create over 0.6 expected goals in any of their last three, and they have also failed to score in four of their last six away games, only netting 11 times in 14 road trips in the Italian top flight all season.

Goalfest unlikely in Tuscany

Only Serie A’s current bottom four have scored fewer goals in the competition this season than Empoli and Lecce, and we do not foresee both sides adding to their meagre tallies on Monday.

Opposing both teams to score appears a prudent play for this fixture – Lecce have only seen both teams net in four of their last 11 games – while a 1-0 home win could represent a solid correct score play. No Serie A team has created fewer expected goals than Lecce’s 22.2 xG this season.

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