Inter vs Empoli prediction: ITALY: Serie A betting tips on match 2023-01-22 19:45.
Having successfully defended the Supercoppa with a 3-0 win over fierce rivals AC Milan on Wednesday, Inter Milan coach Simone Inzaghi indicated that “we’re not stopping” as Inter look to haul back runaway Serie A (SA) leaders Napoli. Realistically though, the Nerazzurri are locked more in a top-four battle than a title race as they look to build on their impressive recent ten-game league run (W8, D1, L1) that has gone some way to making up for a slow start to the campaign.
Playing at home could play to Inter’s advantage as they seek to extend their unbeaten run in 2023 (W4, D1), with Inzaghi’s side winning eight of their nine home league games this campaign (L1), including each of the last five. The arrival of Empoli may boost those hopes too given Inter have won the last nine SA H2Hs anywhere and have lost just one of their previous 14 top-flight home H2Hs (W13).
That record may be intimidating for mid-table Empoli, though they do travel on the back of a four-game unbeaten run (W2, D2), bookended by a 1-0 win against Sampdoria last time out. A chance to halt their losing run against Inter therefore comes with extra incentive as Empoli could now record consecutive SA wins for the first time since December 2021, and they could even secure back-to-back top-flight clean sheets after five years of failing to do so.
Empoli’s poor travelling form raises doubts over their ability to pull that off though, with the visitors winning just once on the road in league action this season (D5, L3) keeping just one clean sheet in the process. Either way, early action could be on the cards as three of Empoli’s last four away league games saw the match opener arrive within the first ten minutes.
Players to watch: Inter’s Edin Džeko has scored four goals in his last five SA games and netted three goals across his last two SA starts against Empoli. The visitors may look for a strike from Filippo Bandinelli to counteract that, and he scored the winner in their only away victory this season.
Hot stat: Ahead of the round, Inter have scored a joint-league high eight goals this season within the first 15 minutes.