Serie A: Lazio’s Campaign Starts in Lecce

Lecce vs Lazio

The 2023-24 Serie A campaign kicks off this weekend, and Maurizio Sarri takes his Lazio side to the Via del Mare to meet Lecce in a testing opener.

The Italian league is wide open this year, and Lazio are in the mix to challenge for the 2024 Scudetto. If they can improve on last season’s second place finish, then the celebrations on the blue side of Rome will go on throughout next summer.

I  Biancoceleste have had a busy time in the transfer market, and Sarri is still dealing as he strives to put a title challenging team together.

Following promotion back to the top-flight in 2022, Lecce survived last season with a 16^th place finish, and I Giallorossi have a new head coach in Roberto D’Aversa at the helm.

It’s a tasty opener for both sides and each will have their sights set on a victory.  

Talking Points

Lazio ready to go into battle without their Sergeant

So Sergej-Milinkovic Savic has finally left Rome for pastures new, though a couple of months ago, nobody really expected him to go to the Saudi Pro League.

He scored 69 goals in his 341 games at the Stadio Olimpico over eight years and became a fixture at the club and a dominant figure. He will be missed for sure, but big players leave all the time, and Sarri has been busy bringing in reinforcements.   

He is close to bringing France keeper Hugo Lloris in from Tottenham Hotspur, and he is still pondering a move for experienced Juventus defender Leonardo Bonucci.

But some deals are over the line and one in particular is an exciting one for Lazio fans. Daichi Kamada has been flown in on a free transfer from Eintracht Frankfurt, and he’s sure to make some special Serie A 2023 highlights.

As an attacking midfielder, he has bags of pace and an eye for goal. Meanwhile, 21-year-old defencive midfielder Nicolo Rovella has arrived on loan from Juventus.

So it may be that Sarri is settling for a new look midfield with responsibilities shared.

Up front, there is support for talisman Ciro Immobile in the shape of striker Taty Castellanos, a €15 million capture from New York City. The 24-year-old Argentine scored 50 goals in 109 games for New York and 13 in 35 while on loan at La Liga side Girona last season.

The Serie A 2023 betting odds are pricing Lazio at 16.00 to win the 2024 Scudetto with five teams, AS Roma included, ahead in the rankings.

Lazio have Napoli and Juventus to play in September, and that could be a telling month for Maurizio Sarri’s team so they need to make a quick start on Sunday in Lecce.

Lecce moving smartly in the market

While Lazio have laid out some chunky transfer fees and are paying some handy salaries, Lecce’s new head coach Roberto D’Aversa has to be a canny operator in the market.

And he looks like starting the new season without midfield ace Morten Hjulmand, who seems destined for a move to Sporting Lisbon. The 24-year-old Dane will attract a fee of €18 million, and that will be a club record, something to please the money men in Lecce since it will give D’Aversa a small war chest to work with.

The new boss believes he may have a ready-made replacement in the shape of Albanian international Ylber Ramadani, a defencive midfielder signed from Aberdeen for a fee of £1.2m. He’s a combative player with 25 international caps and was popular in Aberdeen for his all-action displays.

And the club’s biggest outlay so far has been on 24-year-old Moroccan midfielder Youssef Maleh, who was signed for €5.5 million from Fiorentina, and he too looks likely to line up against Lazio’s new look midfield.

History

Lazio have had the better of the head-to-head meetings with I Giallorossi with 15 wins to six over the past 26 games, while there have been five draws.

Last season, Lecce had the upper hand, winning their home game 2-1 and drawing 2-2 in Rome.     

Pre-season form for both teams has been pretty good as each has won four and lost two of their last six games.

Betting Tip

This is not a guaranteed win for Lazio by any stretch of the imagination.

In fact, at SBOTOP odds of 2.08, Lazio are odds against picking up three points on the opening day and not far ahead of Lecce, who can be backed at 3.20 while the draw is available at 3.01. 

Five of the last six meetings between these two teams have yielded three goals or more, and four of each team’s last six games have produced three or more.

So that’s where I’m heading, a great game with plenty of goalmouth action.

 

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