Empoli will host Atalanta BC in the last match of the week in the Serie A. Having just upset Tuscan rivals Fiorentina in another Monday night fixture, the Azzurri are now seeking the scalp of La Dea.
Preview (Empoli vs. Atalanta BC)
Empoli, are still waiting on their first away goal or point of the season. They knew they would have a difficult time winning the Derby dell’Arno in Fiorentina last week. At the end of regulation, Emmanuel Gyasi scored Azzurri’s second goal, which came from just three efforts on goal. As a result, after returning to the team for a fourth stint in charge, coach Aurelio Andreazzoli—the oldest manager in Serie A, who will turn 70 next month—has watched Empoli win seven points from five games.
That was just enough to lift the Tuscan club out of the drop zone after nine rounds. The result gives hope that their problems in the opposing area may be coming to an end. Empoli has just scored one league goal at home. It is fewer than any other side in any of the top five European leagues. They have yet to score in four of their five home games this season when they return to Stadio Castellani. Additionally, they have only triumphed once in their previous seven encounters with Atalanta.
After defeating promoted Genoa 2-0 at home, Atalanta advanced to sixth place in Serie A. They closing the gap on the top four and enhancing their already stellar defensive record in domestic play. Six of La Dea’s first nine top-flight games have ended in clean sheets, a first for the club. No team in Europe’s top five leagues has recorded more shutouts than La Dea. Atalanta may now anticipate keeping their opponents scoreless in Empoli, considering their hosts’ offensive shortcomings, after keeping their opponents scoreless for a fifth straight home game last week. This equals their best league stretch since 2017.
Team News
Gian Piero Gasperini, the coach of Atalanta, has most of his starting lineup available for Monday night’s game. He is still without summer acquisition El Bilal Toure, who will need many weeks to recover. Veteran defender Jose Luis Palomino. Luis Muriel, a Colombian, will be hoping that his two goals on Thursday will be sufficient to fend off Gianluca Scamacca’s demands for a starting spot up front. In his last five Serie A starts, the Nigerian international has found the net three times; in his previous eight games, he had not scored at all.
Emmanuel Gyasi of Empoli, who scored against Fiorentina, will be looking to score twice in as many league games against Atalanta. Gyasi was previously captain of Spezia. But he could have to do so as a stand-in; Aurelio Andreazzoli is unlikely to alter the starting lineup that began in Florence; Francesco Caputo is expected to lead the line once more, assisted by Nicolo Cambiaghi, though highly-regarded Tommaso Baldanzi might take Matteo Cancellieri’s place.
Giuseppe Pezzella might be the lone player missing for the hosts because fellow defender Ardian Ismajli is expected to recover from a nagging muscle injury and start on the bench. Atalanta is starting to assemble the consistency that has been missing over the last several years, and they have only one loss in their last eight games. They should have no trouble bringing home three points from Tuscany. With a stronger defense and additional options for attack, La Dea should have too much firepower for Empoli to manage.
Empoli 1 – 2 Atalanta BC
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