Overview
Palermo closed last season in fourth place in Serie B but continued to miss the opportunity to advance through the play-offs. This is the third consecutive season they have not been able to return to Serie A.
Having participated in European leagues in 2011 after reaching the Coppa Italia final, Palermo then went through a period of financial crisis and had to rebuild from Serie D. By 2022, they were acquired by City Football Group and gradually consolidated their position in Serie B.
Last season's defeat did not make Filippo Inzaghi lose his job. The Italian coach continues to lead Palermo and will aim for promotion in the new season. Before facing Juve Stabia in the opening match of Serie B, the red and black team will have to overcome the challenge at the Coppa Italia.
Palermo has never won the Coppa Italia and has failed three times in the finals. Their recent achievements are also not too outstanding when they stopped in the second round for two consecutive seasons, respectively against Napoli and Udinese.
In the opposite direction, Lecce has just experienced a tense season in Serie A when they had to fight to avoid relegation. After two consecutive relegations with Frosinone and Venezia, Eusebio Di Francesco finally helped the team escape the relegation race.
The victory over Genoa in the final round is enough for Lecce to complete their goal, thereby continuing to participate in Serie A for the fifth consecutive season.
This summer, Di Francesco kept most of the squad from last season and added French striker Willem Geubbels to improve the strength of the attack. Lecce also had a fairly positive warm-up when winning 4 victories in 6 pre-season friendly matches.
However, away record is still a point that they must be wary of. Lecce lost 11 out of 19 away matches in Serie A last season and only scored 15 goals. The away trip to Sicily will therefore not be easy, even though Palermo is playing in a lower league.
Personnel situation
Palermo's notable new signings this summer include the Brazilian duo Hernani and Gabriel Strefezza, of which Strefezza used to play for Lecce for 3 years.
In the opposite direction, Kristoffer Lund has moved to Birmingham City, and goalkeeper Sebastiano Desplanches has been loaned to Frosinone by Palermo. However, Pippo Inzaghi still has many key players such as Norwegian winger Dennis Johnsen and striker Joel Pohjanpalo. The Finnish striker scored 24 goals in the league last season.
Jeremy Le Douaron is also a notable option in Palermo's attack after scoring against Melbourne City in a recent friendly match.
For Lecce, Willem Geubbels may make his official debut after scoring against Monopoli in the most recent friendly match.
However, Lameck Banda will not be able to participate due to contract-related disputes. The Zambian winger is seeking to move to Libya and is currently absent without permission.
Expected lineup:
Joronen, Pierozzi, Bani, Ceccaroni, Augello, Estevez, Segre, Strefezza, Hernani, Johnsen, Pohjanpalo.
Falcone, Veiga, Gaspar, Gabriel, Gallo, Berisha, Coulibaly, Ngom, Pierotti, Geubbels, N'Dri.
The match between Palermo and Lecce takes place at 2:15 am on August 18 (Vietnam time).
