Udinese vs Empoli prediction: ITALY: Serie A betting tips on match 2024-05-18 13:00.
[p]The stakes could barely be higher as Udinese host Empoli with the battle for Serie A survival nearing its climax. The Zebras head into the penultimate round of fixtures just one point and three places above their opponents in the table, meaning their top-flight status they have held since 1995 is hanging very much in the balance. [/p]
[p]It has been a miserable 2023/24 for the club, who have had three permanent head coaches over the course of the season. The man tasked with keeping them up is legendary Italian defender Fabio Cannavaro, who took the reins in late April and has at least managed to strike a tune out of the players by losing just one of his four games at the helm (W1, D2), including a 2-0 victory against Lecce last time out.[/p]
[p]That victory moved Udinese out of the bottom three at the expense of Empoli, but a win here for the visitors would move them back above the dotted line, regardless of what happens elsewhere. Results of late do little to provide confidence that the Blues can beat the drop though, as they have failed to score a single goal across their last five away matches, all of which have ended in defeat. [/p]
[p]Davide Nicola’s side had actually looked set for safety in April when a shock 1-0 success against Napoli left them four points above the relegation zone. But a three-game winless run (D1, L2) since, including a 2-0 reversal to Lazio last time out, leaves them at risk of a third top-flight relegation in eight seasons.[/p]
[p]Key battle: After netting against Lecce, forward Lorenzo Lucca remains unbeaten in games in that he has scored for Udinese (W4, D4). Looking to keep him quiet may be Empoli defender Bartosz Bereszyński, who has won four of his last six H2Hs against the Zebras (D1, L1), with two of those victories accompanied by a clean sheet. [/p]
[p]Hot stat: Neither of these teams have won a single league game when conceding first this season (Udinese: D5, L11, Empoli: D4, L19). [/p]