Juventus’ pursuit of another scary-looking top-four Serie A finish continues on Saturday as they head to the Stadio Carlo Castellani to take on Empoli. Given how the top-table clubs have performed lately, the Bianconeri could have even had an outside chance of returning in contention for the Scudetto.
However, Massimiliano Allegri’s men have drawn three of their last four Serie A matches (W1), including back-to-back 1-1 draws with Atalanta and Torino in the build-up to this fixture. Juventus come into this matchday occupying the last Champions League qualifying spot, with a three-point lead over fifth-placed Atalanta.
But with La Dea holding a game in hand, a victory over mid-table Empoli is a must for Juve, who drew 1-1 at Villarreal in their midweek Champions League last-16 clash. Aurelio Andreazzoli’s side are having a tough time, with no win from their last nine Serie A outings (D5, L4), including a 2-0 loss away to Sampdoria last time out.
Empoli vs Juventus Head-to-Head
Leonardo Mancuso’s first-half strike made the difference between the sides earlier this season, handing Empoli their first Serie A victory over Juventus in the 21st century. However, Gli Azzurri have lost each of their last four top-flight meetings with the Turin powerhouse at home, scoring just two goals while conceding ten in return.
Ending that streak would see Empoli go unbeaten in both seasonal matches against Juventus for the first time since the 1998/99 campaign. Since there’s a piece of history open for the taking, Andreazzoli’s men could well look to beat the odds and post their first Serie A home win over the Bianconeri since April 1999.
Empoli Form Guide
After drawing a blank at Ferraris last time out, Empoli face the prospect of going two consecutive Serie A games without scoring for the first time since December 2018. Despite heading into proceedings as underdogs, Gli Azzurri will feel confident about their scoring ability, having found the net in their last seven home league outings in a row.
However, Empoli’s defensive set-up has let them down one too many times this season, with Andrezzoli’s team conceding more shots on target (150) than any other side this Serie A campaign. On that basis, it comes as no surprise that they remain one of just two Serie A clubs yet to keep a clean sheet at home this term.
Particularly vulnerable in the earlier stages, Empoli have shipped a league joint-high 11 goals inside the opening 15 minutes of play so far. Alongside Salernitana, they have also conceded the joint-most 26 Serie A goals before half-time this season.
Juventus Form Guide
The visitors’ propensity for 1-1 draws has become a bit frustrating for the travelling fans, with each of their last three competitive fixtures yielding that scoreline. But Juventus go into this round unbeaten in their last 12 Serie A matches on the trot (W7, D5) since losing 1-0 at home to Atalanta back in November.
Despite their impressive run of form, Juventus have found the Serie A goals hard to come by in recent times. They have netted one goal or fewer in three of their last four away league games, while they’ve averaged just 1.57 per Serie A outing since the calendar year flipped to 2022.
Luckily for Allegri, Dusan Vlahovic’s first-minute opener at Villarreal in midweek shows the ex-Fiorentina striker is still in a red-hot form. The marquee January signing is going toe-to-toe with Lazio’s Ciro Immobile for the Capocannoniere award, which is likely to push him to his limits in the remainder of the season.
Empoli vs Juventus Predicted Lineups
Empoli (4-3-2-1): Guglielmo Vicario; Petar Stojanovic, Simone Romagnoli, Mattia Viti, Parisi; Szymon Zurkowski, Kristjan Asllani, Filippo Bandinelli; Liam Henderson, Nedim Bajrami; Andrea Pinamonti.
Juventus (4-3-3): Wojciech Szczesny; Danilo, Leonardo Bonucci, Matthijs de Ligt, Luca Pellegrini; Denis Zakaria, Manuel Locatelli, Adrien Rabiot; Juan Cuadrado, Dusan Vlahovic, Alvaro Morata.