Sassuolo Calcio vs Lecce 17 May 2026 Prediction

The race for Champions League places is entering its decisive phase, but so is the fight to stay in the top division. Lecce has been involved in that battle year after year, and this time it is competing indirectly with Cremonese.

On the field, however, the Apulian side will face Sassuolo in the penultimate round. Sassuolo has not lost a home match this season against teams sitting below 14th place.

Sassuolo Has Been Productive in Attack

The table situation no longer puts major pressure on Sassuolo, and Fabio Grosso’s team is playing with more freedom late in the season, while still trying to stay inside the top 10. However, much of the Neroverdi’s play is still built around long-time leader Domenico Berardi. As soon as the captain was not available from the start, Sassuolo immediately saw its three-match unbeaten run end with a 2-1 loss to Torino.

In the next round, however, the Euro 2020 winner should be fully available again. That means the Emilia-Romagna side should once again be capable of scoring its usual two goals. Sassuolo has scored fewer than two goals in only one of its last six home matches.

Lecce Struggles Against Stronger Opponents

Eusebio Di Francesco risks becoming an unwanted reference point if he is relegated from the top division for a third straight season. This time, the former Roma manager is in charge of another “wolf” team, which is only one point above the relegation zone with two rounds remaining.

This season, Lecce has performed well only against teams of a similar level. In its last four matches against opponents from the bottom third of the table, the Apulian side has not lost once. However, in the other seven matches played over the past three months, the Giallorossi failed to earn a single point.

Sassuolo vs Lecce Predicted Lineup

Sassuolo (4-3-3): Turati — Coulibaly, Muharemovic, Romagna, Garcia — Kone, Matic, Thorstvedt — Berardi, Pinamonti, Lauriente

Out: Pieragnolo, Cande, Boloca, Walukiewicz (all injured)

Manager: Fabio Grosso

Lecce (4-3-3): Falcone — Veiga, Siebert, T. Gabriel, Gallo — Ramadani, Coulibaly, Ngom — Pierotti, Cheddira, Banda

Out: Sottil, Berisha, Fofana (all injured)

Manager: Eusebio Di Francesco

Stats and Trends

• Only Genoa can match Sassuolo’s number of losses in the corner count this season (24). Considering that Lecce has won this category in half of the last four rounds, the visitors are worth considering in the corner market.
• Over the last four rounds, only two of the eight matches involving these teams produced fewer than five yellow cards. Over 4.5 total yellow cards is also worth considering.

Sassuolo vs Lecce Prediction: Sassuolo to Win at 2.78

• Main Pick: Only one team in this matchup still has clear tournament motivation, but Lecce does not look reliable enough to back. The Apulian side has lost each of its last seven matches against opponents sitting above 15th place. Sassuolo, on the other hand, is in strong form and has been especially good at Mapei Stadium. Grosso’s team has won five of its last six home matches, regardless of opponent level. Against one of Serie A’s traditional lower-table sides, we will also take Sassuolo to win at 2.78.
• Goals Pick: Still, a clean-sheet win will not be easy for the hosts given Lecce’s motivation. Sassuolo averages exactly the same number of goals scored and conceded at home in Serie A: 1.28 per match. Lecce also scored twice in its previous away match. As an additional option, we can consider both teams to score — yes at 1.79.
• Correct Score Pick: Sassuolo has been very consistent. In four of its last five home matches, the Neroverdi scored exactly two goals, and in three of those games, they conceded once. For the correct score, we will choose the most logical option: 2-1 at 10.25.