Empoli vs. Juventus: Match Preview, Odds & Prediction

After suffering a disappointing loss at home to AS Roma in the previous round, which dropped them out of first place in Serie A, Juventus will go to Tuscany to take on Empoli. The match will take place at Stadio Carlo Castellani, the home field where the hosts have had recent success in front of a crowd of 16,000 fans.

Previous Matches and Head to head

Empoli had a somewhat better start this season after escaping relegation with a last-day dramatic victory over AS Roma. The club owners appointed Roberto D'Aversa as head coach after Davide Nicola chose not to renew his contract, despite rescuing the team from relegation.

Being acquainted with the challenges of Serie A from his previous season leading Lecce to safety, three points above the floating line, the Italian manager, who was born in Germany, began his career with Virtus Lanciano, a lower-tier Italian club. Empoli had a stronger start to their previous season during summer training, losing only one in four games (2-0 against Sampdoria).

The ideal outcome prior to the Serie A debut was a 4-1 victory in the Coppa opener against Serie B side Catanzaro. The Blues failed to score, hence the game ended in a scoreless draw, despite expectations that Empoli would keep up their precise forward play at Monza.

Roberto D'Aversa's squad was on their way to the capital to take on AS Roma, still unbeaten after two competitive games. Last season, Empoli were able to secure their playoff spot with a victory against Giallorossi at Stadio Carlo Castellani. However, fans were anticipating a different outcome at the Olimpico.

Olimpico was stunned when Empoli took the lead soon before halftime, despite being heavily favored. Despite Roma's best efforts in the second half, Empoli Blues took the lead and never looked back, forcing the hosts to settle for a draw 10 minutes before halftime.

Roberto D'Aversa's squad went into their match against Bologna, a Champions League club, on a high note of confidence. Despite going down in the first two minutes, Ghana striker Emmanuel Gyasi scored the game-winning goal in the third minute, putting his team in seventh place with five points in Serie A.

The decline of Juventus over the last several years is clear. Even though Massimiliano Allegri had a fantastic season last year, winning La Coppa to break a trophy drought of three seasons, the former Serie A and Champions League champions fired the seasoned manager.

The owners appointed Thiago Motta, a Brazilian-born Italian, with the explicit goal of winning the Scudetto after being impressed by his performance at Bologna, which led to a historic qualification in the Champions League group round.

Juventus began their championship defense with a resounding 3-0 victory against Como in Torino, after a grueling preseason that concluded with a disheartening 2-0 loss in Goteborg against Atletico Madrid. The Old Lady, buoyant with confidence, solidified their position as Serie A challengers with a 3-0 victory against Verona, gaining another three points.

Juve had a great start to their Serie A season, going undefeated and scoring six goals in the first two games. However, they showed their limits against AS Roma. The Bianconeri have holes in several areas due to a lack of cash to acquire more quality players, but the addition of Douglas Luiz—a former Aston Villa star—during the summer roster makeover could boost the visitors.

Juve needs a victory over Empoli to keep their table position, presently tied for first place with Simone Inzaghi's squad (7 points), while Inter are making a strong return to defend their championship after a poor start. After their match against Empoli, Juve will play a midweek home test against PSV, the champions of the Netherlands, to kick off their Champions League campaign. In Serie A, they will host Napoli.

Empoli x Juventus Team News

With six players absent since the start of the season owing to injury, Roberto D'Aversa nonetheless managed to get the job done. But while playing Juventus, who hold the record for most goals scored in Serie A, the Italian manager is likely to use a defensive team in an effort to find ways to counterattack.

Both Timothy Weah and Kephran Thuram will miss the season due to hamstring injuries they sustained during preseason. Muscle issues have prevented Franciso Conceicao, who is on loan from Porto for a year, from traveling to Empoli. Nico Gonzales, a right winger, went to the locker room after hurting his ankle.

Our Predictions

Juventus to win @ 1.67 on Sky247.ng

Looking to get back on track after last round's draw with AS Roma, Juventus is aiming for their third victory of the season. We still think the Old Lady can win it all, even though Empoli are a much better team now.

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