After all three of Serie A's top contenders dropped points, allowing Juventus and Roma to get back into the title race, a win for Inter Milan against Lecce is absolutely essential if they are to maintain their lead.
Inter and Napoli once again proved why they have been in constant contention for the title over the past few seasons, failing to beat each other after a 2-2 draw at the weekend. The Nerazzurri have reason to regret, as they allowed the champions to come back twice.
However, they are expected to return to winning ways immediately, as the only teams that have managed to take points off them at home this season are Napoli and AC Milan.
Even more impressive is their scoring record at San Siro, with Inter firing 26 goals in their 10 home games so far.
Lece failed again a few days ago, losing 2-1 at home to Parma. With this latest defeat, the Salentini remain just three points above the relegation zone, and a loss to Inter could make the situation considerably worse.
It is impossible to succeed in Serie A without scoring goals, and Lecce have the weakest attack in the league. They have scored only 13 goals in 19 games, with even the teams at the bottom of the table having scored more.
How the bookies view it: They ruled Lecce out
If you are looking for a favourite to bet on Wednesday, you should rather focus on another match, because the bookmakers' odds are of no value here.
At the moment, you can back Inter Milan at 3/20, which is a completely pointless decision. It makes much more sense to look for an upset, as you can back Lecce at 20/1. A draw is priced at 8/1.
Recent head-to-head: The Salentini almost never score
Long gone are the days when Lecce were a serious contender in Serie A, and their results against Inter Milan are proof of that.
The Nerazzurri have won their last six matches against this opponent, keeping a clean sheet in five of them. At home, they have 11 consecutive wins, with Lecce managing to score in only three of their losses.
Players to watch: Martinez loves punishing Lecce
Lautaro Martinez failed to score in two consecutive games, which hasn't happened since November, but the upcoming match is against one of his favorite opponents, and we can expect something special.
The Argentine has scored four goals in his last three games against Lecce, and he has also provided two assists in earlier encounters.
Probable line-ups
Inter Milan: Sommer, Acerbi, Akanji, Bastoni, Henrique, Barella, Sucic, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco, Thuram, Martinez
Lecce: Falcone, Veiga, Siebert, Gabriel, Ndaba, Maleh, Coulibaly, Sottil, Kaba, Pierotti, Stulic
Anything else catch the eye?
Although Inter Milan's defense is far from flawless, it is difficult to expect them to make a crucial mistake against Lecce, who are completely harmless in the final third.
Furthermore, we have already mentioned that the Salentini seldom score at San Siro, having done so only three times in their last 10 visits.
We can also expect corners, especially if Lecce spend the entire match trying to defend their goal. Inter are the team with the most corners taken so far this season, averaging 7.70 per home game. Lecce, meanwhile, are third in the league in terms of corners given, averaging 5.75 per away game.
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