The Matchday 18 clash in Serie A between Empoli and Genoa will take place on December 28 at the Carlo Castellani Stadium. Empoli vs. Genoa: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Predicted lineups for Empoli vs. Genoa
Empoli (3-4-3): Devis Vasquez – Saba Goglichidze, Liberato Cacace, Ardian Ismajli – Emmanuel Gyasi, Alberto Grassi, Tino Anjorin, Giuseppe Pezzella – Sebastiano Esposito, Lorenzo Colombo, Liam Henderson.
Genoa (4-2-3-1): Nicola Leali – Aaron Martin Caricol, Johan Vasquez, Stefano Sabelli, Mattia Bani – Milan Badelj, Morten Frendrup – Vitinha, Fabio Miretti, Alessandro Zanoli – Andrea Pinamonti.
Each team's starting lineup from their last match in this tournament is listed.
Empoli
In the last round, Roberto D'Aversa's side suffered a 2-3 defeat away to Atalanta. Empoli came close to securing points but conceded a decisive goal late in the match, marking their second consecutive loss in the league. Additionally, the club has conceded more than two goals for the third time this Serie A season. In the standings, the team is in 11th place with 19 points. Notably, Empoli has conceded more goals (19) than only six other clubs in this championship.
Defenders Mattia Viti and Tyronne Ebuehi, midfielders Nicolas Haas and Jacopo Fazzini, and forward Ola Solbakken will miss the match due to injuries. Defender Giuseppe Pezzella is suspended.
- The club has not won in 7 of their last 8 home matches in Serie A (4 draws, 3 losses).
- The team has not scored more than once in their last eight home league games.
- At least one opponent has failed to score in 7 of Empoli's last 8 home Serie A matches.
Genoa
Patrick Vieira's side lost 1-2 at home to Napoli in the last round. As a result, Genoa's six-match unbeaten run in the league (2 wins, 4 draws) was snapped. Additionally, the team conceded for the first time in four Serie A matches. The club is in 13th place in the standings, trailing Empoli by three points. It's worth noting that all three of Genoa's wins in the current championship have come on the road.
Defender Koni De Winter, midfielder Ruslan Malinovskyi, and forward Jeff Ehator will miss the match due to injuries.
- The team has not won in 7 of their last 10 away matches in Serie A (3 draws, 4 losses).
- At least one opponent has failed to score in 7 of the club's last 8 away league matches.
- No more than two goals have been scored in 6 of Genoa's last 8 away Serie A matches.
Empoli vs. Genoa: Match Prediction
Even at home, Empoli's players are not inclined to play openly and aggressively in attack, preferring reliable actions in their penalty area. The club's scoring ability leaves much to be desired: in the current Serie A season, Roberto D'Aversa's side has scored only two goals in eight home matches. Meanwhile, the team has conceded more than one goal at home only once this season, achieving four clean sheets.
Genoa plays in a similar style, especially in away matches: in 6 of their last 7 away Serie A games, the club has not breached the opposition's defense more than once. At the same time, they strive to avoid many mistakes in their own half, having kept a clean sheet in their last three away league matches.
It's also worth noting that in last season's Serie A, these teams ended their encounter at Empoli with a 0-0 draw. I expect another low-scoring match, so my prediction: Total under 2.5 goals
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