Verona vs Empoli prediction: ITALY: Serie A betting tips on match 2024-01-12 17:00.
In an increasingly intriguing relegation battle in Serie A, this meeting between Hellas Verona and Empoli, in 18th and 19th respectively, takes on huge significance. Verona have already suffered a blow in the January transfer window, losing Filippo Terracciano to AC Milan, but manager Marco Baroni ought to be buoyed by his side’s display in a chaotic clash at title-chasing Inter Milan, despite the fact they ultimately fell to a 2-1 injury-time defeat.
That heartbreaking loss means Verona have now won just once in the league in their last 17 games (D5, L11), and having only led in that time during that solitary 2-0 victory over Cagliari, falling behind here may prove a killer blow for them. But with just one defeat across their last four home games, they should still be confident of securing the club’s first-ever league double over Empoli after a 1-0 win in the reverse fixture in August.
Empoli were outclassed by AC Milan on Sunday (L 3-0) – the fourth successive encounter in which they have failed to score. Those recent struggles in front of goal are something that has been a running theme throughout the campaign as a whole, as the Tuscans have only netted ten times in Italy’s top flight, comfortably the lowest total in the division.
Nevertheless, in his third spell in charge of Empoli, head coach Aurelio Andreazzoli has enjoyed previous success with the Azzurri in a similar situation, guiding them to safety on their return to Serie A in 2021/22 during his last stint in the job. The 70-year-old can point to clean-sheet triumphs over Fiorentina (2-0) and Napoli (1-0) as evidence of his squad’s capabilities, even though they have only scored twice on their travels this term aside from those two upsets.
Players to watch: Ondrej Duda assisted against Inter, but with seven yellow cards and a red in Serie A already this season, he’s also a thorn in the referee’s side. Matteo Cancellieri was the last Empoli player to score a goal back in early December 2023, and is a familiar face to Verona having spent time on loan at the club earlier in his career.
Hot stat: The last 13 H2Hs have either been drawn or been won by a one-goal margin.