Empoli v Lecce Prediction: Stalemate on the cards

Empoli are in the thick of the battle to avoid relegation in Serie A and they will need to improve their home form if they are to stay in the top flight.

They begin that task by hosting Lecce on Monday. The visitors have been in solid, if unremarkable, form this season, sitting five points ahead of these opponents in the table.

Here we pick out the best bets for this Serie A clash.

Team news

For Empoli, Tommaso Baldanzi has an ankle issue which should rule him out, joining Giuseppe Pezella and Gabriele Guarino in the treatment room.

Lecce’s Mohamed Kaba is a doubt, while Jeppe Corfitzen is expected to miss out with a shoulder injury.

Match odds

Empoli can be backed at 7/5 for the victory, while Lecce are 2/1 outsiders and the draw is available at 11/5.

Draw @ 11/5

Empoli’s struggles at home are one of the major reasons they are currently camped at the wrong end of the table, they have taken just four points from a possible 21 on home soil this season, losing five of their seven Serie A matches in their own backyard.

However, they face a Lecce side that have found things difficult on their travels, they are winless from their six away games in the league.

Goals have been something of an issue for both teams this season but Empoli’s struggles going forward have been particularly evident, as they have only netted nine times in 14 matches.

They will need to m[prove that ratio if they are to pull away from trouble but they will take confidence from the fact that Lecce have only won three of their 14 league games.

In fact the visitors have drawn seven league games this season, including their last three, and another stalemate could play out here.

In a tight battle at the wrong end of the table and with both teams struggling with their respective home and away form, siding with a draw looks a sensible play.

Nikola Krstovic to score at anytime @ 5/2

One bright spot for Lecce this season has been the efforts of Nikola Krstovic, who has netted four goals in the league so far.

The Montenegro international is also the visiting team’s penalty taker and could add to his tally for the campaign in this clash.

The home side have conceded 26 times and Krstovic could be the latest to breach their defence on Monday evening.

Football betting tips, from Betfred Insights.