A rescheduled Matchday 16 fixture takes center stage tonight, Wednesday, January 14, 2026, as league leaders Inter Milan host a struggling Lecce at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza. Kick-off is set for 19:45 GMT (20:45 local time).
The match was originally postponed due to Inter’s involvement in the Supercoppa Italiana. Now, Cristian Chivu’s side has a golden opportunity to finish the first half of the season with a commanding lead at the summit of Serie A.
The Storyline: Champions-Elect vs. Relegation Battlers
Inter Milan: Chasing the Winter Title
Inter enters this clash following a high-drama 2–2 draw with Napoli over the weekend. While they were disappointed to concede a late equalizer, the Nerazzurri remain three points clear at the top. With AC Milan and Napoli breathing down their necks, there is no room for complacency.
Manager Cristian Chivu is expected to rotate his squad slightly to manage a congested January schedule, but the depth of this Inter side remains the envy of the league. A win tonight would officially crown them "Winter Champions" and remove the asterisk from the league table.
Lecce: A Mountain to Climb
Lecce arrives in Milan in a state of crisis. Currently sitting in 17th place, just three points above the drop zone, Eusebio Di Francesco’s men are on a four-match winless streak. Their recent 2–1 loss to Parma was particularly damaging, not just for the result but for the disciplinary fallout that has left them severely depleted for tonight’s visit to the capital of Lombardy.
Team News & Probable Lineups
Inter Milan Team News
Major Absence: Midfield maestro Hakan Çalhanoğlu is out for approximately three weeks with a calf strain sustained against Napoli.
Rotation: Lautaro Martínez may start on the bench to manage his load, with the returning Ange-Yoan Bonny expected to partner Marcus Thuram upfront.
Unavailable: Denzel Dumfries, Matteo Darmian, and reserve keeper Josep Martinez.
Predicted XI (3-5-2): Sommer; Bisseck, Acerbi, Bastoni; Henrique, Barella, Sucic, Zielinski, Augusto; Bonny, Thuram.
Lecce Team News
Suspension Crisis: Lecce will be without three key starters: Lameck Banda, Kialonda Gaspar, and Ylber Ramadani are all serving bans.
Injury Woes: Tete Morente, Gaby Jean, and Medon Berisha remain sidelined.
Key Man: Nikola Štulić has scored twice in his last five games and remains the visitors' best hope for an upset.
Predicted XI (4-3-3): Falcone; Veiga, Gabriel, Siebert, Gallo; Kaba, Coulibaly, Maleh; Pierotti, Stulic, Sottil.
Head-to-Head (H2H) & Key Stats
Historical Dominance: Inter has won the last 11 home meetings against Lecce at San Siro.
Clean Sheet Kings: Inter has kept a clean sheet in each of their last five matches against Lecce, with an aggregate score of 14–0.
San Siro Curse: Lecce has not picked up a single point away at Inter Milan in nearly 25 years.
Scoring Records: Inter is the most prolific side in Serie A this season, averaging over 2.2 goals per match.
Tactical Analysis: Midfield Control vs. Damage Limitation
Even without Çalhanoğlu, Inter’s midfield trio of Nicolò Barella, Piotr Zieliński, and the young Petar Sučić should dominate possession. Chivu will likely instruct his wing-backs to push high and exploit a Lecce defense that is missing its most reliable center-back in Gaspar.
Lecce will likely adopt an ultra-defensive 4-5-1 or 5-4-1 block. Their primary goal will be to survive the opening 20 minutes—a period where Inter has scored more goals than any other team in Italy this season. If they can frustrate the hosts, they may look to release the pace of Riccardo Sottil on the counter-attack.
Match Prediction
Given Inter’s historic dominance at San Siro and Lecce’s massive list of suspensions, it is difficult to see anything other than a comfortable home win. Inter’s depth and tactical discipline should be far too much for the visitors to handle.
Final Score Prediction: Inter Milan 3–0 Lecce
