Empoli vs Udinese prediction: ITALY: Serie A betting tips on match 2023-03-10 14:00.
Last weekendâs 2-1 defeat at Monza saw Empoli record their second six-game (D3, L3) winless run of this Serie A (SA) season. Whilst itâs not quite as bad as their dreadful 16-game winless run from last term, Paolo Zanetti will be eager to see an immediate reaction from his side, even though they come into the round with a comfortable ten-point gap to the relegation zone.
However, as two of the divisionâs âdraw specialistsâ meet here, ending that streak isnât guaranteed. Empoli have collected the second most draws in the league this season (10), with only opponents Udinese (11) collecting more, unsurprisingly including Januaryâs reverse H2H meeting which ended 1-1. At home, the hosts do at least hold a balanced SA record (W4, D4, L4), but each of their last three matches at Stadio Carlo Castellani have seen them concede exactly twice, which is another habit they will be out to break.
Coach Andrea Sottil admitted he was âhappyâ with Udineseâs performance against Atalanta which saw them hold the top-six contenders to a 0-0 stalemate, but the result still meant they extended their record to just one win in 17 SA matches (D10, L6). Udinese still somehow finished the last round inside the top half, but their chances of competing for a spot in the European places now appear to be all but over.
The visitors have a habit of starting slow on the road and are yet to lead at half-time when travelling this term (HT: D10, L3), but their only two wins since the start of October came away from home, which should give them some confidence. Historically though, Udinese donât enjoy playing in this part of Tuscany, losing in each of their last three visits to Empoli.
Players to watch: With his goal against Monza, MartĂn Satriano ended his almost six-month-long drought, and notably his five senior goalscoring matches have seen both teams find the net. Udineseâs Sandi LovriÄ has been in the spotlight recently, picking up a goal, an assist, and a booking in his last three starts!
Hot stat: A league-high eight Udinese matches have seen a draw at half-time and full-time.