Building up to Lecce vs. Inter, the numbers and statistics

MILAN - Inter return to the pitch on Sunday at 15:00 CET, their first match of the return round of fixtures coming away to Lecce in Serie A. Let’s take a look at all the numbers and statistics ahead of the game, compiled in collaboration with Opta.

This will be the 32nd encounter between Inter and Lecce in Serie A, the Nerazzurri holding the better record with 24 wins, three draws and four losses. Inter have beaten Lecce more times than any other side in the top division, also scoring the most goals with 74. Lecce also suffered one of the heaviest defeats in Serie A history against Inter: 6-0 in November 1999, the match of Ronaldo’s first injury.

PREVIOUS RESULTS IN LECCE Lecce have earned four points in their last two home games against Inter in the league: the Giallorossi have never gone three consecutive home games unbeaten against the Nerazzurri. Inter have won nine games away to Lecce: no other side has won more games away to this opponent in the top flight.

CURRENT FORM Inter finished off the first round of fixtures on 46 points, getting 25 out of a possible 27 points from their first nine away games in the league.

Lecce have lost all of their last four league games: the side from Salento have not lost five in a row since November 2005. Lecce have failed to win any of their last twelve home games in Serie A (4D, 8L): the Giallorossi have only gone 13 home games without a win on one occasion in the top division back in 2009. Lecce have earned seven points fewer at home than they have away: the biggest differential between these two statistics from any of the 20 teams in the league.

GENERAL STATISTICS Inter have been in the lead in games for longer than any other side in Serie A this season (917 minutes), only trailing for 107 minutes (Juventus for fewer with 102 minutes). At this point last season Inter had only led games for 578 minutes.

Inter have scored seven headers in the league this season, only conceding one: no team has done better. Inter have also scored the most goals of any team in the first half an hour of games (15), while Lecce are the only side to not have conceded in the first 15 minutes of a Serie A game this season.

45% of Lecce’s goals have come off the back of dead-ball situations: the highest percentage in the league. Inter have conceded the least goals (one) from set-pieces this season, while Lecce have conceded the most goals from open play (28).

Inter are the only team in the league to have two players on double figures for goals scored (Martinez and Lukaku), and are also the side with the highest percentage of shots on target this season (55%). The Nerazzurri boast 13 league goalscorers so far this season, the highest figure for any team.

PLAYER FOCUSRomelu Lukaku’s first goal in Serie A came against Lecce earlier this season. Of the players who made their Serie A debut for Inter in the era of a single-group Serie A, only Nyers and Meazza join Romelu Lukaku in scoring at least 14 goals from the team’s first 19 games. Lukaku has now scored 18 in Inter’s first 25 games of the season: the last Nerazzurri striker to top that was Samuel Eto'o in 2010/11 (21 goals). Looking at goals and assists, only Ciro Immobile (25) has been directly involved in more goals than Lukaku (16) in the league this season.

Lautaro Martínez has taken 71 shots in the league so far: only less than Immobile (74) and Ronaldo (90). Seven of the Argentine’s ten goals in the league have come in the first 30 minutes of games, our number 10 having scored more than any other Serie A player in this time period.

Marcelo Brozovic has made 1,275 passes in the league this season: more than any other player; Milan Skriniar has made the most for any defender (1,181).

Out of the goalkeepers to have played all of the games so far this season, no one has a better save percentage than Samir Handanovic (77%).

Antonio Candreva scored one of his two goals this season in the home game against Lecce: he had only scored one goal for Inter across both of the last two seasons.

Alexis Sánchez’s first goal in Serie A came in October 2008, arriving in an away game against Lecce during his time playing for Udinese.

Marcelo Brozovic scored in his only Serie A encounter with Lecce earlier this season.

Stefano Sensi scored his first goal for the Nerazzurri against Lecce.

Since his first penalty save in Serie A back on 4 May 2008 against Empoli, Samir Handanovic has kept out 24 efforts from the spot: a record in the Top 5 European leagues.

Lecce’s goalkeeper Gabriel has made the most saves out of any goalkeeper this season with 87, an average of 4.6 per game. Lecce striker Khouma Babacar has scored four goals against Inter in Serie A: this is his highest figure against any opponent in the competition. He also scored his last brace in the top flight against the Nerazzurri back in April 2017.

COACHES Antonio Conte has never lost to Lecce in the top division, with a record of two wins and a draw. The Nerazzurri Coach made his Serie A debut as a player for Lecce back in 1985/86. Antonio Conte won 14 of his first 19 league games in charge of Inter, a figure bettered only by Alfredo Foni (1952/53) and Giovanni Invernizzi (1970/71) in their first 19.

Fabio Liverani has lost both of his previous encounters with Inter in Serie A.