Lecce vs AS Roma Prediction - Serie A: A Test of the Capital City Team's Character

At 00:00 on January 7th, 2026, AS Roma will face a challenging away match at Lecce's Stadio Ettore Giardiniero in Serie A. The game takes place against a backdrop of both teams facing personnel issues, but the goal of securing points to improve their position in the league table is paramount.

Ranking position and realistic goals

Currently, AS Roma is in 5th place with 33 points. The Italian capital team is fiercely chasing the Champions League qualification spots. Meanwhile, Lecce is ranked 16th with 17 points, only a narrow distance from the relegation zone.

AS Roma: Striving to maintain their position despite losses.

AS Roma's performance this season has been fairly consistent, with 11 wins in 18 matches. However, their recent form shows signs of instability, with 3 losses in their last 5 games. Notably, the team hasn't had a single draw away from home this season, indicating a "win big or lose everything" approach when playing away from home.

Roma's defense has always been a solid foundation, conceding an average of only 0.7 goals per game. However, in the upcoming match, they will be without two key players, Gianluca Mancini and Mario Hermoso, due to suspensions, along with center-back Evan Ndicka who is on national team duty. This will force Roma to make groundbreaking tactical adjustments to protect their goal.

Lecce: Difficulties in attack

Lecce, the home team, is having a very difficult season. Their biggest problem lies in their finishing ability, having scored only 12 goals in 17 matches, the lowest efficiency in the league (0.7 goals per game). Despite playing at home at the Stadio Ettore Giardiniero, Lecce's ability to spring a surprise remains a big question mark as they are missing several key players due to injuries and international duties.

Head-to-head history: Roma holds the advantage.

History is on the visitors' side, as AS Roma have won 3 and drawn 2 of their last 5 encounters. In their most recent match in March 2025, Roma secured a narrow 1-0 victory away at Lecce.

• March 30, 2025: Lecce 0 - 1 AS Roma
• December 8, 2024: AS Roma 4 - 1 Lecce
• April 1, 2024: Lecce 0 - 0 AS Roma
• November 6, 2023: AS Roma 2 - 1 Lecce
• February 12, 2023: Lecce 1 - 1 AS Roma

Team news and expected lineup

Both teams entered this match with lengthy lists of injured and absent players:

• Lecce:Missing L. Coulibaly (national duty), M. Berisha, B. Pierret (muscle injury), R. Sottil (back injury) and Tete Morente (foot injury).
• AS Roma:Missing E. Ndicka and N. El Aynaoui (national duty); G. Mancini and M. Hermoso (suspended); L. Pellegrini and L. Bailey (thigh injury); E. Bove (heart problem).

Tactical analysis and prediction

Based on in-depth analysis, AS Roma is still considered the favorite due to their superior squad quality and dominant head-to-head record. However, with their defense severely weakened, Roma will likely opt for a cautious approach, controlling possession tightly in midfield to reduce pressure on their back line.

Lecce may take advantage of their opponent's weaknesses to play counter-attacking football, but their poor scoring ability is a major obstacle. A tight match with few goals is the most likely scenario. The odds favor Roma to win or a draw.

Forecast:AS Roma win or draw (The match has fewer than 3.5 goals).

Team lineup updated at 23:23 on 06/01/2026

Official lineup

Lecce

Diagram: 4-3-3

CoachEusebio Di Francesco

Starting lineup:

• 30. Wladimiro Falcone (G)
• 17. Danilo Veiga (D)
• 4. Kialonda Gaspar (D)
• 44. Tiago Gabriel (D)
• 25. Antonino Gallo (D)
• 77. Mohamed Kaba (M)
• 20. Ylber Ramadani (M)
• 93. Youssef Maleh (M)
• 23. Riccardo Sottil (F)
• 22. Francesco Camarda (F)
• 19. Lameck Banda (F)

Substitutes:

• 32. Jasper Samooja
• 5. Jamil Siebert
• 3. Corrie Ndaba
• 18. Gaby Jean
• 13. Matías Pérez
• 21. Christ-Owen Kouassi
• 36. Filip Marchwiński
• 28. Olaf Gorter
• 14. Þórir Jóhann Helgason
• 80. Niko Kovač
• 6. Alex Sala
• 50. Santiago Pierotti
• 9. Nikola Štulić
• 11. Konan N'Dri

AS Roma

Diagram: 3-4-2-1

CoachPiero Gasperini Gian

Starting lineup:

• 99. Mile Svilar (G)
• 19. Zeki Çelik (D)
• 24. Jan Ziółkowski (D)
• 87. Daniele Ghilardi (D)
• 43. Wesley (M)
• 17. Manu Koné (M)
• 4. Bryan Cristante (M)
• 92. Stephan El Shaarawy (M)
• 21. Paulo Dybala (F)
• 61. Niccolò Pisilli (F)
• 11. Evan Ferguson (F)

Substitutes:

• 91. Radosław Żelezny
• 32. Devis Vásquez
• 12. Konstantinos Tsimikas
• 77. Emanuele Lulli
• 76. Jacopo Mirra
• 3. Angeliño
• 60. Alessandro Romano
• 18. Matías Soulé
• 9. Artem Dovbyk