AS Roma vs Empoli prediction: ITALY: Serie A betting tips on match 2024-08-24 18:45.
[p]After recording a third successive sixth-placed finish in Serie A last season, remarkably on exactly the same points tally each time, the Roma fans who made the long trip to Cagliari on matchday one would have been hoping for a quick start to this latest campaign. Instead, their side failed to make their chances count when it mattered most as they were held to a goalless draw against a side tipped by many to finish in the relegation spots this season. [/p]
[p]That draw additionally extended Roma’s run to just one win across their last six league outings (D3, L2) and considering that they’ve only netted one goal at most in each of the last five of those, a free-scoring performance remains unlikely here. Instead, manager Daniele de Rossi could point his side in the direction of their prior H2H form for extra motivation, as the Giallorossi have never lost a home Serie A H2H in 16 prior meetings (W14, D2). [/p]
[p]Empoli will have to be at their very best then to end that run, their longest against any side away from home in the competition without ever winning. Much like their hosts on this occasion, the visitors’ own campaign also started off with an uninspiring 0-0 draw at home to Monza, even if that result stretched their competitive unbeaten run to six on home soil (W4, D2).[/p]
[p]But it was on their travels where Empoli struggled massively at the back end of last season as they avoided the drop by just a single point. The Azzurri failed to win any of their last six away Serie A outings in 2023/24 (D1, L5), and with all five of those defeats coming ‘to nil’, the travelling contingent are unlikely to be in high spirits as they arrive in the Italian capital. [/p]
[p]Players to watch: After making his debut last weekend following a permanent move from Juventus, Roma’s Matías Soulé will be looking to net his first goal for the club here and could be helped by the fact that his last four strikes in Serie A have all come at home. Empoli’s Lorenzo Colombo will look to upstage him, especially as three of his four league goals last season came on the road. [/p]
[p]Hot stat: Just seven of Empoli’s 19 away Serie A matches last season saw both teams score – the joint-fewest in the competition.[/p]
[p][i]Written by Nathan Evans[/i][/p]