AS Roma vs Empoli prediction: ITALY: Serie A betting tips on match 2023-09-16 18:45.
Roma may have resisted the urge to sack José Mourinho during the international break, but the pressure is certainly growing on the manager – whose contract expires next summer – after a horror start to the season. The Yellow and Reds have picked up just one point from three games so far, with defeats to Verona and AC Milan a major concern for fans who were hoping their side could finally break back into Serie A’s (SA) UEFA Champions League places this season.
That goal looks a tall order at the moment, with the 2-1 loss at home to Milan before the international break extending a dreadful run of league form to just one win in 11 attempts (D5, L5). Mourinho may therefore be relieved to see Empoli making the trip to Stadio Olimpico, given he has won each of his four personal H2Hs with them as a manager.
That will make for fairly ominous reading for the visitors, who remain the only team in SA yet to score a goal, let alone pick up a point. Indeed, the campaign could barely have gotten off to a worse start for the Blues, who suffered a shock defeat against second-tier side Cittadella in the Coppa Italia before losing to Verona, Monza and Juventus in the league.
Like Mourinho, manager Paolo Zanetti is facing questions over his future, but he believes results will improve once their new signings bed in. Simone Bastoni and Youssef Maleh, who arrived towards the end of the window, started against Juve, while Etrit Berisha was on the bench, and the boss insists his side “played well,” but must “continue to work and improve” if they are to move away from danger.
Key battle: Roma centre-half Gianluca Mancini has helped his side keep a clean sheet in each of his three personal home meetings with Empoli (W2, D1). He may be looking to thwart forward Francesco Caputo, who will be desperate to open his account for the Blues and has netted first or last in nine of his last 11 goalscoring appearances in the Italian top flight.
Hot stat: Roma have only failed to score in one of their last 15 home SA games, netting at least twice in eight of those fixtures.