Empoli vs Atalanta

The penultimate game of Serie A Gameweek 10 pits resurgent Empoli and top-four-bidding Atalanta at the Stadio Carlo Castellani.

Empoli’s decision to sack underperforming manager Paolo Zanetti after a dreadful five-game losing league start ‘to nil’ and replace him with former coach Aurelio Andreazzoli has proved a massive hit. ‘Gli Azzurri’ have since racked up seven points out of the last 12 available (W2, D1, L1), including a stunning 2-0 triumph at Fiorentina in the previous round. Defensively solidity has been amongst Empoli’s most prominent features under Andreazzoli, with the team racking up three clean sheets across their last four Serie A outings, a feat they haven’t achieved against Atalanta since April 2019. Not only did they lose both top-flight H2Hs in 2022/23, but they also conceded precisely twice on each occasion. A 2-0 defeat in this exact fixture last term marked Empoli’s third consecutive home league clash against Atalanta in which they conceded 2+ goals.

In the meantime, Atalanta headed into October’s international break with a troubled mind after a 3-2 loss at Lazio saw them lose ground on the Serie A top four. But Gian Piero Gasperini’s lads provided a perfect response last weekend, claiming a 2-0 home win over promoted Genoa to move within a two-point distance of fourth-placed Napoli at the start of this round. However, after blowing hot and cold in their last three league matches (W1, D1 L1) and sharing the spoils with Sturm Graz in midweek Europa League action (2-2), ‘La Dea’ cannot take anything for granted. Adding to this sentiment, Gasperini’s men have conceded multiple goals on four of their last six road trips across all competitions, calling for further caution ahead of this fixture.