Eusebio Di Francesco, Lecce's head coach, previewed his side's fixture against Roma at the Stadio Via del Mare, expressing admiration for their opponents' early-season form while outlining his tactical approach to the match. Roma earned a convincing victory against Fiorentina in their opening fixture, with Paulo Dybala performing at an exceptionally high level. Donyell Malen scored a hat-trick in that same game. Di Francesco acknowledged the challenge ahead: "Malen scored three goals, Dybala is in an extraordinary condition, it is difficult to go and take them on as a team. Gasperini gives a very strong identity, we need to be good at containing their qualities."
Di Francesco, who previously managed Roma, faces his former club for the first time this season. He emphasized that his preparation focuses on understanding Roma's approach rather than making sweeping changes to his own setup. He noted that Lecce have improved offensively and want to attack with more players rather than operating solely on the defensive, though this carries inherent risks. Against Gasperini's aggressive, high-pressing system, Di Francesco explained his team must balance controlled aggression with the ability to suffer defensively and create numerical superiority on the flanks, as Roma create "an offensive web" through high possession and goalkeeper involvement.
On squad matters, Di Francesco confirmed midfielder Sander Ilic, a player he specifically requested in the transfer market, has trained all week and will have "some minutes". He knows Ilic from their time together at Verona and believes the midfielder, who has important qualities in both build-up play and attacking transitions, can become a key player if he finds consistency and conviction. Forward Nikola Stulic, who missed chances in Lecce's previous match against Venezia, will be given opportunity to redeem himself, and Di Francesco noted that competition from Geubbels is raising training standards for both strikers. Centre-back Tiago Gabriel remains a Lecce player "today" despite transfer rumours, though Di Francesco did not rule out changes to his starting lineup and hinted at possible surprises.
Di Francesco will decide on striker Gallo's participation tomorrow morning, describing him as a doubt. He also plans to assess the impact of the ongoing stadium construction work at the Via del Mare on his team's focus and performance.
Testo Originale / Source Text
“Eusebio Di Francesco presenta la sfida contro la Roma. Il tecnico del Lecce ha parlato in conferenza stampa alla vigilia della gara del Via del Mare, soffermandosi sul momento dei salentini, sulle possibili scelte di formazione e soprattutto sulla squadra di Gian Piero Gasperini, reduce dal…”
Read the full article in Italian at GialloRossi.net.
