Salernitana vs Empoli prediction: ITALY: Serie A betting tips on match 2024-02-08 19:45.
Salernitana halted a dire run of five successive competitive losses by holding mid-table Torino to a 0-0 draw last weekend, although that did little to improve their chances of Serie A survival. Rooted to the bottom of the table with a five-point gap to safety, another resolute defensive performance here would not only earn them consecutive top-flight clean sheets for the first time since last March, but also boost hopes of beating the drop.
However, significant improvements are required if Salernitana are to stand a strong chance of achieving a positive result at home to fellow relegation battlers Empoli, as the Granata haven’t secured a shutout across 13 top-flight games on their own patch. That sequence includes conceding exactly twice in their last five such encounters (D1, L4), with manager Filippo Inzaghi in need of a solution to tighten the backline, which if found could help him become the club’s first manager to win a home Serie A H2H (D2, L1).
Nineteenth-placed Empoli are one of five teams separated by a single point and have the incentive of temporarily climbing up to 15th with a victory on Friday night. That result isn’t altogether out of their reach on current form as former Salernitana head coach Davide Nicola has kept the side unbeaten (W1, D2) so far during his tenure, while masterminding two clean sheets in that period. And three points at Stadio Arechi could ultimately prove crucial in the longer run, as four of their next six league matches are against current top-eight clubs.
Being on the road might not be a bad thing for Empoli as they have managed to avoid defeat in four of their last six away trips (W1, D3), conceding just five times in the process, compared to 14 in their first five outings on their travels this season.
Players to watch: Six of Boulaye Dia’s last seven Serie A goals have come during the second half of matches and interestingly all in games that Salernitana drew. In a similar vein, three of Szymon Żurkowski’s last five goals have come after the 55th minute.
Hot stat: Salernitana have conceded 14 of their 44 Serie A goals this term after the 75th minute.