Separated by three places in the early Serie A table , Lecce and Monza meet at Stadio Via del Mare on Sunday, with the hosts seeking their first victory of the campaign. Ivan Juric’s team have shown goalscoring potential in the opening weeks, but the league returnees remain winless after three matchdays, a situation they seek to change in Apulia this weekend. Match preview Lecce just about avoided relegation last season, and Eusebio De Francesco’s men have not started the 2026-27 campaign with any indication that they are set for anything more than a survival battle. Lupi have their opening-day win over promoted Venezia to thank for their only success in all competitions so far, with the Apulians losing three of their other matches without scoring. Although failing to lay a glove on likely title contenders or European aspirants, Roma was understandable; their inability to pull up trees in defeats to Palermo (2-0) in the Coppa Italia and Cagliari (1-0) last time out highlighted the club’s broader goalscoring issues. Only two clubs scored fewer goals than De Francesco’s men in the previous term, both of whom suffered eventual relegation from the big time at the season’s end. Starting the new term by continuing the bad habits of the previous season could be a portent ahead of this weekend and possibly the wider campaign.
© Imago / Marco Canoniero
As for the visitors, the mood is largely mixed, even though they enter the fourth matchday winless after returning to the top flight. A baptism of fire away at Inter Milan on the opening day was unlikely to yield a positive outcome against the defending champions, but they have shown their potential in front of goal over the next two games: losing 3-2 to Udinese and drawing 1-1 with Parma. If there were a stick to beat Juric’s side with, it would be the Biancorossi’s tendency to fail to hold on to leads or concede again after fighting to bring themselves level. This was evident in the loss to Inter, against whom they levelled going into half-time, in the 3-2 loss to Udinese despite pegging back the eventual victors and in the game with Parma. While the latter result ended 1-1, the White and Reds yet again put themselves in a favourable position after Jay Robinson scored before the break; however, Simone Lontani levelled for the Emilia-Romagna outfit on the hour, and so it stayed.
The glass ought to be half-full, not half-empty, as the Brianzoli now head to Apulia on one mission: not to retreat or go into their shell after putting themselves in an advantageous situation as they hope to capitalise on Lecce’s suboptimal final-third end product. Lecce Serie A form:
Lecce form (all competitions):
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Monza Serie A form:
Monza form (all competitions):
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© Imago / Gribaudi
Lecce have a relatively healthy squad for Sunday, even if the medical staff will assess Willem Geubbels’s ankle injury. Only Olaf Gorter and Tiago Gabriel have scored for the Salentini after three rounds, and De Francesco needs players to take responsibility for the 14th-placed hosts.
Patrick Ciurria and Cyril Ngonge’s involvement is uncertain, although Jan Ziolkowski (foot) and Matteo Pessina (knee) are ruled out. Gustavo Varela missed last week’s draw with Parma due to a thigh issue, but the forward is expected to return in some capacity this weekend. Without a doubt, the summer arrival’s return could be the tonic for the Biancorossi to secure their first win this season, with the new signing having already scored four goals — two each in league and cup — and he will look to be decisive on Sunday. Lecce possible starting lineup:
Falcone; Veiga, Gaspar, Gabriel, Gallo; Coulibaly, Ngom, Ilic; Pierotti, Stulic, Monteiro
Monza possible starting lineup:
Thiam; Kouadio, Lucchesi, Carboni; Birindelli, Akinsanmiro, Folorunsho, Mangas; Colpani, Robinson; Varela
We say: Lecce 1-1 Monza Although Lecce will aim to capitalise on their unbeaten Serie A record against Monza at Stadio Via del Mare, their glaring final-third inefficiencies suggest a comfortable home victory is unlikely. With the visitors repeatedly demonstrating their ability to find the net despite defensive frailties, Juric’s men have enough attacking quality to secure a hard-fought share of the spoils in Apulia.
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