Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Coppa Italia match.
It is possible that Juventus’ elimination from the Champions League in the round of 16 may work in their favour for domestic results. They continue their Coppa Italia campaign with a match against Empoli, who will aim to defend resolutely in Turin against any attack from the favourites.
Juventus
In their away match against Cagliari on Sunday (1:0), Juventus struggled to register a decisive shot in the opponent’s penalty area – from 2.11 xG and seven shots on target, they managed only an early goal from Dušan Vlahovic. Since the start of the campaign, Juventus have suffered only two home defeats – both occurring in the Champions League (0:1 against VfB Stuttgart and 0:2 to S.L. Benfica). They still boast the best defence in Serie A alongside Napoli (both having conceded 21 goals), although Juventus have a slightly higher xGA (23.39).
Empoli
Earlier in February, Empoli suffered a heavy defeat away to Juventus (1:4), after which they entered a goal drought. Since February 8th, Empoli have lost three matches with a combined score of 0:10, failing to register a single goal from an aggregate of 3.92 xG. It is clear that after a 0:5 thrashing by Atalanta, coach Roberto D'Aversa must respond, as he is on the brink of dismissal.
Juventus vs Empoli Prediction
We also note that until their recent match in Turin, Juventus and Empoli had not achieved a Total Over 2.5 in three consecutive head-to-head encounters. After an exhausting period, Juventus will likely aim to conserve energy, while Empoli, reeling from their recent defeat, are expected to adopt a compact defensive approach in their own half.
