Prediction: Empoli vs Juventus

Verdict: Away win

Best odds: 67/100

Bookmaker: ZetBet

Juventus travels to Tuscany where they will face Empoli, hoping to bounce back from the previous round home set-back against AS Roma that cost the visitors the Serie A leaders position. The match will be played at Stadio Carlo Castellani, where the hosts had great success in the last games in front of their 16000 supporters.

Empoli

After avoiding relegation with a last-day dramatic win against AS Roma, Empoli had a much better start this time. Despite saving the team from dropping, Davide Nicola did not extend his contract, leaving the club owners to appoint Roberto D’Aversa as the new head coach.

The German-born Italian manager started his career at lower-tier Italian outfit Virtus Lanciano being familiar with the Serie A demands following a previous season when he stirred Lecce to safety, three points above the floating line. The Summer preparations with a single defeat in four games (2-0 against Sampdoria) indicated a better start to Empoli’s previous campaign.

Opening the season with a statement win in the Coppa against Serie B side Catanzaro (4-1) was the perfect result before the Serie A debut. Although Empoli was expected to maintain their upfront accuracy at Monza, the Blues failed to hit the target settling for a stalemate (0-0).

Remaining undefeated after two competitive games, Roberto D’Aversa’s side was heading towards the capital to face AS Roma. Although Empoli reached safety last season by defeating Giallorossi at Stadio Carlo Castellani, a different scenario was expected at the Olimpico.

Despite being given a massive underdog status, Empoli shocked Olimpico taking the lead just before the half-time whistle. Although Roma increased the pressure in the second term, Empoli Blues struck decisively by going 2-0 up, leaving the hosts to settle the final score (1-2), 10 minutes before the final whistle.

Riding a tide of confidence, Roberto D’Aversa’s team travelled to Champions League side Bologna where despite falling behind after two minutes, Ghana forward Emmanuel Gyasi settled the final result with a 3rd-minute strike that positioned his team 7th in the Serie A standings with five points.

Team News

Regardless of having six players out due to injuries since the beginning of the season, Roberto D’Aversa managed to fill the gaps in his team. However, facing the Serie A record holders Juventus, the Italian boss is expected to set up a defensive lineup, attempting to explore counter-attacking options.

Juventus

Juventus’ fall in recent years is obvious. The former Serie A and Champions League winners sacked Massimiliano Allegri despite the experienced manager’s great performance achieved last term by winning La Coppa, ending a period of three seasons without a trophy.

Impressed by Thiago Motta’s work at Bologna, leading to a historic qualification in the Champions League group phase, the owners decided to appoint the Brazilian-born Italian manager with a clear target to win the Scudetto.

Coming after an intense pre-season that ended with a disappointing 2-0 defeat in Goteborg against Atletico Madrid, Juventus opened their title bid with an emphatic 3-0 win in Torino against Como. Packed with confidence, the Old Lady confirmed their Serie A challenger status at Verona after securing another three points by inserting a total dominance (3-0 final score).

However, despite an excellent start to their Serie A campaign without conceding and netting six times in two rounds, Juve displayed its limitations against AS Roma. While the summer squad overhaul should strengthen the visitors after adding former Aston Villa ace Douglas Luiz, the lack of funds to buy more quality players left Bianconeri with gaps in many positions.

With Inter coming strong to defend their title after a slow start, Juventus needs a win against Empoli to maintain their table position, currently sharing the 1st place with Simone Inzaghi’s team (7 points). Following the Empoli clash, Juve will start their Champions League journey with a midweek home test against Dutch champions PSV before hosting Napoli in Serie A.

Team News

Kephran Thuram and Timothy Weah are out after suffering hamstring injuries in the pre-season. Franciso Conceicao, loaned from Porto for a year, will not make the trip to Empoli after having muscle problems. Right winger Nico Gonzales joined the recovery room with ankle problems.

Key factors to consider

• Empoli lost a single game from the last 10 played in all competitions (including friendlies)
• The hosts delivered Juventus’s most recent Serie A heavy defeat (4-1 in May 2023)
• Juventus is second in Serie A, level on points (7) with current champions and leaders Inter
• The visitors displayed their limitations in the last round against AS Roma (0-0)

Conclusion

Keen to bounce back from the previous round stalemate against AS Roma, Juventus is targetting their 3rd win of the season. Although Empoli improved their level significantly, we back the Old Lady to get all points at stake.

Verdict: Away win

Best odds: 67/100

Bookmaker: ZetBet