Expect Venezia to line up in their usual 4-3-3, a shape that gives them width in attack and a solid base in midfield. The full-backs push high, the wingers cut inside onto their stronger feet, and the central midfielder drops between the centre-backs to start attacks. It's a system built for home games — aggressive, front-foot, and designed to pin opponents in their own half. Lecce, by contrast, are predicted to set up in a 4-2-3-1, with a double pivot shielding the back four and a number ten floating in the half-spaces. That shape is more conservative, more reactive. They'll look to soak up pressure and hit on the break through the wide channels.

The midfield battle will be the key battleground. Venezia's three-man engine room should outnumber Lecce's two, giving them control of the centre of the park. If Venezia's wingers stay wide, they'll stretch Lecce's back line and create gaps between the full-back and centre-back — exactly where their runners like to attack. Lecce's double pivot will have to work overtime to screen those passes, but they're not the quickest across the turf. Set pieces could also be decisive. Venezia are a threat from dead balls, with big centre-backs who attack the near post, while Lecce have shown vulnerability defending corners in recent games. If Venezia get an early goal, they can sit in and dare Lecce to break them down — and that's a task Lecce have struggled with all season.