Empoli vs Atalanta – Preview, H2H, Line-ups, Odds, Prediction | Serie A 2022-23

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Empoli will host Atalanta this Sunday in the 12th Round of the 2022/23 Serie A season.

Venue: Stadio Carlo Castellani (Empoli)

Key Statistics

Empoli have won just one home league game this season (D2, L3).

They have scored just nine goals in the league this season. Only Sampdoria (6) have discord fewer goals so far.

Atalanta have conceded just eight league goals this season. Only Lazio (5) and Juventus (7) have conceded fewer goals.

The visitors have not lost away from home in the league this season (W4, D1).

They have kept four clean sheets in six away games.

Head to head

Both sides have two wins apiece in their last five head-to-head meetings.

Latest performances in all competitions

Empoli: L-W-D-L-W

Atalanta: L-W-D-W-W

Empoli

Empoli will look to pick up just their third win of the season when they welcome Atalanta to Carlo Castellani on Sunday.

The hosts come into this tie sitting in the safety of mid-table after 11 Serie A rounds (W2, D5, L4). Such a start to the league campaign that may not be what many Empoli fans could have taken at the beginning of the season, but they are better closer to mid-table than to the relegation line.

However, for them to finish in the top half of the table for the first time since 2006/07, the Tuscany-based side needs to turn draws into victories as the five draws they have picked up this campaign is the most in the league this season.

They won almost two-thirds of their seasonal points last campaign in their first 18 league matches of that season and cannot afford another poor spring performance this season.

Paolo Zanetti’s men meanwhile come into this tie on the back of a 4-0 defeat to Juventus and they now face another strong opponent as high-flying Atalanta come to town. However, they might be confident of getting a good result as their visitors also lost their last match while Empoli are unbeaten in three of the last four H2Hs (W2, D1, L1).

Possible Empoli starting line-up

Guglielmo Vicario; Petar Stojanovic, Koni De Winter, Sebastiano Luperto, Fabiano Parisi; Nicolas Haas, Razvan Marin, Filippo Bandinelli, Tommaso Baldanzi; Martin Satriano, Mattia Destro.

Injured: Ardian Ismajli, Lorenzo Tonelli

Doubtful: Alberto Grassi

Suspended: None

Atalanta

After an unbeaten start to the season, Atalanta suffered their first loss of the season last weekend as they were beaten 2-0 by Lazio at home.

Goals from Mattia Zaccagni and Felipe Anderson gave Lazio the win and condemned Gian Gasparini Piero’s side to their goalless outing in their last 17 games in all competitions.

The loss also pushed La Dea down the league table, with their 24 points so far only enough to give them fourth position ahead of this game. After their horrible performance and eight-place finish last season, their current league placement would be satisfying even to the most optimistic Atalanta fans as they are still in the title race, with just five points behind Napoli.

They have never collected more points at this stage of a Serie A campaign than the 24 they currently have and will fancy their chances of bouncing back here given that they are unbeaten away from home this season (W4, D1).

They have also kept four clean sheets on the road this season and Gasperini will be desperate for another strong defensive outing on this occasion. Meanwhile, Tuscany has also been a happy hunting ground for Atalanta recently with the visitors winning three of their last four trips to this region (L1), including a 4-1 victory in this fixture last term.

Possible Atalanta starting line-up

Juan Musso; Caleb Okoli, Merih Demiral, Berat Djimsiti; Hans Hateboer, Brandon Soppy, Giorgio Salvini, Teun Koopmeiners; Mario Pasalic; Ademola Lookman, Duvan Zapata.

Injured: Davide Zappacosta, Rafael Toloi

Doubtful: Juan Musso

Suspended: Luis Muriel

Odds

Prediction

Empoli 0-2 Atalanta