Serie A Preview: Napoli vs Empoli – Team News, Line-ups & Prediction | OneFootball

Serie A Gameweek 32 closes out at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona as title hopefuls Napoli take on relegation-battling Empoli in a high-stakes clash. Both sides are in desperate need of points, albeit for contrasting reasons.

Inter’s 3-1 home triumph against Udinese on Saturday intensified the pressure on Napoli ahead of this fixture. Antonio Conte’s side cannot afford further slip-ups after last Monday’s 1-1 draw at Bologna saw them squander another opportunity to close the gap on the reigning champions.

With six points separating Napoli from the Nerazzurri ahead of the kick-off and only six rounds left, it’s needless to discuss the importance of beating Empoli. Despite their tag as odds-on pre-match favorites, the Partenopei would be well-advised not to take their opponents for granted, especially after recent meetings in Naples.

Roberto D’Aversa’s men have won twice on their last three Serie A visits to this stadium (L1) and will aim for another upset as they bid to end the club’s joint-longest wait for a top-flight win. Last weekend’s scoreless home draw against Cagliari condemned Empoli to their 16th consecutive league outing without a win (D5, L11).

As a result, they entered this round two points adrift of safety. However, Lecce’s defeat at Juventus means Gli Azzurri can claw their way out of the bottom three if they continue to be a thorn in Napoli’s side. Given their recent showings, that could be easier said than done.

Match Preview

Napoli

Napoli’s chances of clinching a second Scudetto in three years have significantly dwindled across the past nine rounds. Indeed, no team across Europe’s traditional top-five leagues has drawn as many league matches in that sequence as Conte’s team (W2, D6, L1), highlighting an ominous dip in form.

Although unbeaten across their last five Serie A games on home turf (W3, D2), Napoli couldn’t keep a clean sheet in that period, suggesting another dramatic contest could be in store. Scoring first would only partially ease the home faithful’s concerns, knowing the Partenopei wasted the lead in four of their last six league stalemates.

Against this backdrop, Napoli are yet to concede against teams starting this round in the bottom four. Even if Empoli buck that trend and open the scoring somehow, the hosts should still be confident of getting three points over the line, having averaged a league-high 1.4 points per game when conceding first this season (W4, D2, L4).

Empoli

Keen to secure a fifth consecutive season in Italy’s top flight, Empoli must stem the bleeding amid the worst patch in the club’s Serie A history. Achieving that feat would require the visitors to defy a notorious trend of failing to beat any opposition starting this round inside the top six this season (D3, L7).

As if that’s not troubling enough, Empoli conceded an alarming 15 goals across five defeats against Serie A’s current top three, underscoring the size of the task awaiting them in Naples tonight. Another disappointing result is a distinct possibility for D’Aversa, whose managerial record against Napoli can hardly inspire confidence (W2, L7).

However, Empoli gave the Partenopei a run for their money in December’s reverse fixture. Indeed, a controversial penalty converted by Khvicha Kvaratskhelia midway through the second half separated the teams at the final whistle. Defensive solidity could again be the key to Empoli’s hopes of upsetting the apple cart, as they’ve conceded an average of 0.66 goals per game across their last three Serie A road trips.

Team News

Napoli cannot count on star defender Alessandro Buongiorno and attacking-minded full-back Leonardo Spinazzola due to injuries. Moreover, Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa and Giovanni Di Lorenzo are unavailable for selection after accumulating yellow cards against Bologna. Finally, this fixture may come too soon for goalkeeper Alex Meret.

On the other hand, Empoli take this trip severely crippled by injuries, with Ardian Ismajli, Christian Kouame, Marco Silvestri, Nicolas Haas, Pietro Pellegri, Saba Sazonov, Szymon Zurkowski, and Youssef Maleh stuck in the treatment room.

Napoli vs Empoli Potential Starting Line-ups

Napoli (4-3-3): Scuffet; Mazzocchi, Rrahmani, Buongiorno, Olivera; Gilmour, Lobotka, McTominay; Politano, Lukaku, Neres.

Empoli (3-4-2-1): Vasquez; Goglichidze, Marianucci, Viti; Gyasi, Grassi, Henderson, Pezella; Esposito, Cacace; Colombo.

Napoli vs Empoli Prediction

Despite Empoli’s recent heroics on this ground, Napoli should stroll to an all-important win and maintain the pressure on Inter.