Lecce vs Cittadella | All you need to know.
On February 22, 2022 by Jake IovineA midweek clash against the league leaders. The stretch of hard fixtures continues for Cittadella as they travel south for a clash with free-scoring Lecce.
A home loss to Benevento on the weekend saw Edoardo Gorini’s men start to slowly put their backs against the wall. The Granata currently sit four points adrift from the final playoff position after 24 games, much lower than any fan of the club would’ve hoped for.
Now Cittadella must travel to the Stadio Via del Mare against a tough Lecce side. Despite losing 2-1 to I Giallorossi earlier in September, Gorini and his players could’ve taken a lot of positives from that match as they prepare for a tough challenge in Apulia.
Here’s an insider on both teams for Wednesday night.
Cittadella
Like recent Serie B seasons since 2016, Cittadella have continued to be in contention for Serie A promotion.
However, this year is starting to look a little less familiar. The club hoped to be in a higher position at this stage, but are now on the outside looking in as March looms. A 1-0 home defeat to Benevento has put the Granata in need of a positive performance.
Along with playing against the league leaders, Cittadella’s task will be also extra challenging with the exclusion of key players. Those players include Simone Branca, Orji Okwonkwo, Domenico Frare, Amedeo Benedetti, and Andrea Danzi, who have been ruled out for the match.
If Cittadella want a good chance to get at least a point out of this one, the offense must improve their performances and style of play. Last weekend showed very little in the final third, with many predicable and passive play in the attack. With only two goals scored in five games, Cittadella’s task at hand is greatly challenged.
But for inspiration, here’s something. Last May, against a Lecce team who was in 2nd place, Cittadella ran away as winners at the Via del Mare thanks to three wonderful goals from Christian D’Urso, Marco Rosafio, and Federico Proia. It was a statement win, that moved Cittadella closer to clinching a playoff spot. Hopefully, Wednesday will provide a similar story.
Lecce
Lecce should really be in Serie A right now. Seriously.
A utter collapse last May saw I Giallorossi go from 2nd to 4th in the standings, where they would then lose their semi final tie against Venezia. During that time frame, Lecce lost 4 out of their 6 remaining games, including playoffs.
But that disappointment has fueled Marco Baroni’s side, as they currently stand in first place. They have scored the most goals in the league along side Monza, with 40 goals coming in 24 games. More than half of those goals come from Massimo Coda and Gabriel Strefezza, who have been lighting up Serie B’s leading goalscorer race.
On top of this free scoring football, Lecce have asserted their dominance at home, showing off an impressive 8-4-0 record at the Via del Mare. That record is still cautious, because Lecce have never beaten the Granata at home. In fact, they have only beaten Cittadella once, coming last September at the Tombolato.
With Pisa and Cremonese dropping points Tuesday night, this proves a real opportunity for Lecce to go three points clear at the summit of Serie B for the moment.