Sunday’s Serie A action halts with a revenge-poised encounter between Empoli and Juventus at the Stadio Carlo Castellani. Let’s look at our match preview for this high-stakes contest.
Although it’s still the early stage of the season, the stakes are already high for Empoli. Coming into matchday three, Paolo Zanetti’s lads languish at the bottom of the Serie A table. Pointless and goalless after the opening two rounds, Gli Azzurri will look to make amends for a dreadful start to the 2023/24 campaign.
Following a frustrating 1-0 home defeat to Hellas Verona on day one, Empoli slumped to a 2-0 loss at Monza last weekend. Andrea Colpani’s match-winning showing left Zanetti’s side pinned to the bottom as the only Serie A team to have failed to pick up a single point after the first two rounds.
While Juventus find themselves in a much more promising position than their out-of-sorts hosts, they cannot afford a slip-up here. Losing ground on the Scudetto contenders early in the season left Massimiliano Allegri’s side out of the title conversation last term. Keen to avoid a similar scenario, they’ll be out to avenge a humiliating 4-1 defeat in this corresponding match-up from May.
Juventus got the 2023/24 season underway with an impressive 3-0 win against Udinese at the Dacia Arena. But when it looked like they could be on the verge of restoring glory days in Turin, Bologna doused the optimism at the Allianz Arena last weekend, holding Bianconeri to a dismal 1-1 draw.
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Match Preview
Empoli
Empoli will hope to feel a sense of deja vu on Sunday. They had to wait until Gameweek 3 to score their first Serie A goal last season. With more urgency in the front third and a bit of luck, Gli Azzurri could make that happen, especially considering they’ve netted multiple goals in their last two top-flight meetings with Juventus at Carlo Castellani.
Scoring is unlikely to top Zanetti’s list of concerns. Defensive frailties trump his side’s uneventful attacking performances. Bringing the 2022/23 campaign into the equation, Empoli are without a clean sheet in 11 consecutive Serie A matches since holding Milan to a scoreless draw at San Siro in early April.
That’s particularly worrying because they have conceded at least two goals in their last six league matches against Juventus on home turf.
Player to Watch: Francesco Caputo
The veteran striker could be Empoli’s best chance of breaking their scoring duck in 2023/24. He has netted five career goals against Juventus, including a famous brace in the abovementioned 4-1 victory last season.
Juventus
Dusan Vlahovic’s towering header salvaged a point for Juventus against Bologna. But more importantly, the Serbian frontman’s form in the opening two games can put smiles back on the Bianconeri fans’ faces following a turbulent summer. After scoring and showing plenty of promise in both league outings this term, the ex-Fiorentina star could be considered a new signing.
Off-field turmoil, compounded by problems with Financial Fair Play, hindered the record-time Italian champions’ transfer plans this summer. However, with Vlahovic rediscovering his ‘killer instincts’ and Federico Chiesa hitting his stride, Juventus can proceed with cautious optimism. Another comforting fact for the visitors is that they’ve won their last three away league fixtures ‘to nil.’
Player to Watch: Dusan Vlahovic
In addition to his superb form in the opening two matchdays, the 23-year-old striker is no stranger to scoring at Carlo Castellani. Each of his three career goals against Empoli has come at this venue.
Team News
Milan loanee Daniel Maldini may not have the chance to assist his parent club by helping Empoli throw a spanner in the works of Juventus’ early progress. The versatile forward has recently struggled with a muscle injury and may have to sit this one out.
On the other hand, Juventus won’t onboard Mattia De Sciglio for this trip. But the more pressing issue is a minor injury Wojciech Szczesny has been carrying in the build-up to this encounter. Still, there’s a decent chance he’ll be between the sticks on Sunday.
Empoli vs Juventus Potential Lineups
Empoli (4-2-3-1): Samuele Perisan; Tyronne Ebuehi, Ardian Ismajli, Sebastiano Luperto, Liberato Cacace; Razvan Marin, Alberto Grassi; Matteo Cancellieri, Tommaso Baldanzi, Nicolo Cambiaghi; Francesco Caputo.
Juventus (3-5-2): Wojciech Szczesny; Danilo, Gleison Bremer, Alex Sandro; Timothy Weah, Nicolo Fagioli, Manuel Locatelli, Adrien Rabiot, Andrea Cambiaso; Federico Chiesa, Dusan Vlahovic.
Empoli vs Juventus Prediction
The chances of Empoli replicating last season’s success are pure fiction. We firmly back Juventus to settle the score and take home three points, potentially extending the home side’s wait for their first goal of 2023/24.
Prediction: Juventus Win
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