Empoli and Roma will drop the curtain on Serie A matchday six as they go head-to-head in contrasting circumstances. Monday’s fixture at the Stadio Carlo Castellani pits the two sides with quite the opposing seasonal goals against each other.
Since falling to a 1-0 defeat at Spezia on the opening weekend, Empoli have drawn four consecutive Serie A matches despite taking the lead on three occasions. Most recently, they eked out a 2-2 stalemate away to Salernitana in a topsy-turvy affair that saw them break the deadlock but fall behind early in the second half.
Meanwhile, visiting Roma would like to forget about the past seven days as soon as possible. Following an embarrassing 4-0 league loss at Udinese, Jose Mourinho’s team succumbed to a morale-crushing 2-1 defeat at Bulgarian champions Ludogorets in their curtain-raising Europa League fixture on Thursday.
Therefore, both sides will be out to find a way out of crises. Roma should be in a prime position to rebuild confidence at Empoli’s expense. The Giallorossi have come out victorious in all five previous meetings with the Tuscan outfit, including a brace of two-goal margin triumphs in 2021/22. Without further ado, let’s skip to our preview.
Match Preview
Empoli
Empoli’s form woes against Roma are deep-rooted since they have picked up only two wins from their last 12 encounters in Serie A (D3, L7). In fact, you’d have to go 2007 for the Tuscan club’s most recent top-flight success against perennial top-flight tenants. Moreover, Paolo Zanetti’s men have failed to get on the scoresheet in four of their six previous league matches against Roma.
Stadio Carlo Castellani has not been the fortress Empoli fans have been hoping for in 2022. Indeed, Gli Azzurri have only won one of their 11 Serie A outings on home turf (D6, L4), courtesy of a 3-2 victory over Napoli in April. It’s also worth noting that they only kept two clean sheets in that 11-game sequence, holding the likes of Fiorentina and Spezia at bay.
Despite all the troubles and underwhelming results, it looks like the future may be bright for Empoli. They are the only team in Serie A to boast at least three goalscorers born after 2000. Highly-rated youngster Tommaso Baldanzi, who found the net in Empoli’s 1-1 draw with Hellas Verona in their most recent Serie A home game, is the one to keep an eye on here.
Roma
Despite fielding Andrea Belotti and Paulo Dybala from the first minute, Roma boss Mourinho saw his side collapse in Razgrad on Thursday. With Tammy Abraham returning to the starting line-up for the Giallorossi’s trip to Empoli, the visiting side will feel confident about getting back to winning ways.
Before slumping to a disastrous defeat at the Dacia Arena last weekend, Roma had gone unbeaten in their opening four Serie A fixtures this term (W3, D1). Since each of those three victories were accompanied by a clean sheet, the visitors will be looking to re-establish a stronghold in front of Rui Patricio’s goal.
However, since downing Salernitana 1-0 on matchday one, Roma have won none of their subsequent three away matches across all competitions (D1, L2). Mourinho’s men averaged just 0.66 goals per game in the spread of clashes. Belotti could help improve their paltry scoring return on the road as he’s been involved in six goals across his last four appearances against Empoli.
Team News
Empoli will be without Lorenzo Tonelli, while Mattia Destro’s availability remains up in the air.
On the other hand, Roma cannot count on Marash Kumbulla, Nicola Zalewski, Nicolo Zaniolo, Georginio Wijnaldum, and Stephan El Shaarawy for this trip as all are struggling with injuries.
Empoli vs Roma Potential Line-ups
Empoli (4-3-1-2): Guglielmo Vicario; Petar Stojanovic, Ardian Ismajli, Sebastiano Luperto, Fabiano Parisi; Nicolas Haas, Marin, Tommaso Baldanzi; Nedim Bajrami; Martin Satriano, Sam Lammers.
Roma (3-4-2-1): Rui Patricio; Gianluca Mancini, Chris Smalling, Roger Ibanez; Rick Karsdorp, Mady Camara, Nemanja Matic, Leonardo Spinazzola; Paulo Dybala, Lorenzo Pellegrini; Tammy Abraham.