Empoli vs Napoli

The stakes are high for Empoli and Napoli as they lock horns in a must-win Serie A encounter at the Stadio Carlo Castellani. 

Empoli’s freefall was on full display last time out as they failed to register a shot on target and conceded an alarming xG of 2.86 in a disheartening 1-0 defeat to Lazio. Losing for the fifth time in their last six league outings (W1) left ‘Gli Azzurri’ just a point clear of the bottom three at the end of the previous round, highlighting the significance of taking points in this fixture. Despite claiming a nerve-shredding 3-2 win against Torino in their most recent Serie A game at the Castellani, Davide Nicola’s men can’t feel safe on their home turf, having won none of their previous four top-flight matches in Tuscany (D2, L2). But if they can defy a dismal win ratio of 18.75% in home league clashes this season (3/16), Empoli could post back-to-back home wins for the first time since May 2023.

Points are equally significant to downtrodden Serie A champions Napoli after a disastrous 2-2 home draw against relegation-battling Frosinone last weekend kept them stranded outside the European spots. The visitors’ underwhelming run of just two wins across their six league games since the start of March (D3, L1) can’t inspire much confidence. Neither can their recent fortunes at Empoli, with ‘I Partenopei’ losing two of their last three top-flight visits to the Castellani (W1), conceding multiple goals in both defeats. Notoriously inconsistent on the road, Francesco Calzona’s men have seen their seven away league matches in 2024 fluctuate between different outcomes (W2, D3, L2). As if that’s not troubling enough, they only managed one clean sheet in that sequence.