Empoli vs Roma: Preview, Prediction & Betting Tips

European Football is quickly approaching the final stages of the season as teams across Europe’s top domestic leagues await their fate come the end of the campaign. Serie A takes centre stage this weekend as relegation-threatened Empoli face Roma at the Carlo Castellani Stadium.

Location: Carlo Castellani Stadium

Date: 25/05/2024

Kick-Off: 5:30 PM

The relegation situation in Serie A poses an intriguing battle between potentially four teams next weekend. Empoli, Udinese, Verona and Frosinone are the four likely teams that could face the drop, as one relegation place is still available following Sassuolo and Salernitana's already confirmed place in Serie B.

Empoli are currently 18th in the league after 37 games played and are one point behind Udinese and Verona who are both 16th and 17th respectively. Frosinone is two points clear of Empoli and they face Udinese next weekend in what could prove to be the pivotal game in the relegation picture next weekend.

Interestingly, the advantage falls to Verona in this situation. Verona has a game in hand on the teams around them and they face bottom of the league Salernitana on the Monday before the final weekend of the season.

Empoli have an inferior goal difference to everyone involved with negative 26. The home side have amassed 33 points from 37 games played this season and have averaged 0.89 points per game this season. Ultimately anything other than a win and Empoli will be facing next season in the second tier of Italian football.

Empoli, on paper, has the toughest fixture of the remaining teams involved in the relegation picture as they host Roma. The away side is assured of European Football next season, and they have an outside chance of UEFA Champions League qualification. This would require a unique set of results to fall their way.

Roma is currently sixth in the Serie A this season after 37 games played. The away side is three points behind fifth-placed Atalanta, who also have a UEFA Europa League final against Bayer Leverkusen to contend with. Roma’s final league game takes place next weekend against Empoli, however, Atalanta finishes their campaign against Fiorentina a week after the Serie A season concludes for everyone else.

Roma would require Atalanta to lose both league games and for them to beat Empoli next weekend. Roma also has an eight-goal deficit to overcome, so the prospect seems highly unlikely. Roma have amassed 63 points this season from 37 games played this season and have averaged 1.7 points per game this season.

Empoli must make sure there isn’t a repeat of the score at the Stadio Olimpico earlier this season. Roma were the winners as they recorded an emphatic 7-0 win over Empoli which included a brace from Argentine forward Paulo Dybala.

Empoli Team News

Giuseppe Pezzella, Sebastiano Luperto and Szymon Zurkowski are all suspension risks. Tyronne Ebuehi is ruled out for this game.

Roma Team News

Paulo Dybala, Leonardo Spinazzola and Renato Sanches are all unavailable for this game. Leandro Paredes, Gianluca Mancini and Romelu Lukaku are among the suspension concerns.

The recent history between the two teams suggests that Roma should be considered as seriously strong favourites for this fixture. Roma have won their last five games against Empoli, having scored 15 goals in their last five league games against their opposition.

This fixture provides an average of 2.71 goals per game between the two sides. In the last 20 meetings between the two sides, Roma has been superb as they’ve won 15 of the last 20 meetings. Empoli has only won twice, and the three remaining fixtures have ended in a draw.

Roma is unbeaten in their last seven league meetings at the Carlo Castellani Stadium. Empoli’s last league win at home over Roma was in 2007 in which Roma were reduced to ten men. The fixture at the Carlo Castellani Stadium last season resulted in a 2-1 victory for Roma, thanks to goals from Tammy Abraham and Paulo Dybala. Jean-Daniel Akpa Akpro was dismissed for Empoli in the game last season.

In the last ten meetings between the two sides, there have been three dismissals between the two sides. Empoli have received two dismissals – one including the dismissal last season and Roma have only received one. Roma’s dismissal meant nothing as they still beat Empoli 2-1 at the Stadio Olimpico.

Empoli’s home form in general has been below par this season. The relegation-threatened side has played 18 games this season at home and has won four, drawn five and lost nine. Empoli have averaged 0.94 points per game at home his season and have won only 22% of their home games this season.

Interestingly, their recent home form could provide some optimism into this pivotal fixture against Roma. Empoli have won two out of their last five home games, having drawn once and losing twice. The one positive for Empoli is that they’ve kept a rather respectable record of keeping a clean sheet in 33% of their home games.

Their most recent home win took place in the middle of April, where Empoli recorded an impressive 1-0 win over former champions Napoli. Elia Caprile is sure to be on the move this summer as the Italian goalkeeper has kept five clean sheets and prevented 1.12 goals per game this season.

Roma’s away form this season is still better than Empoli’s record in general. Roma have played 18 games away from the Stadio Olimpico this season, having won six, drawn five and lost seven. Roma have won 33% of their away games this season, averaging 1.28 points per game this season on their travels.

The away side has a poor record when it comes to conceding away from home, as they’ve kept a clean sheet in only 17% of their away games this season. Roma has failed to score in 28% of their away games this season, whilst scoring on average 1.44 goals per game.

Roma have only won one of their last five away games in the league, having drawn three and losing the remaining game. Their most recent league win away from home was a 2-1 win over Udinese thanks to goals from Romelu Lukaku and Bryan Cristante.

Romelu Lukaku will be of interest in this game. The Belgian has 13 goals from 30 starts, averaging a goal every 203 minutes.

Unfortunately, despite the upturn in their home form, we think Empoli will be consigned to relegation at the hands of Roma.

Empoli 0-2 Roma

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The game will not be broadcast in the UK.

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