The first leg of the Coppa Italia semi-final between Empoli and Bologna will take place on April 1 at the Carlo Castellani Stadium. Empoli vs. Bologna: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Empoli
Roberto D'Aversa's side reached the Coppa Italia semi-finals by defeating four opponents: Catanzaro (4-1), Torino (2-1), Fiorentina (2-2, on penalties 4-3), and Juventus (1-1, on penalties 4-2). As a result, Empoli has reached this stage of the tournament for the first time in their history. Moreover, the club has not lost in regular time in 8 of their last 9 Coppa Italia matches (4 wins, 4 draws). Additionally, the team has extended their scoring streak in this tournament to 13 matches.
- The club has not lost in regular time in 7 of their last 8 home matches in the Coppa Italia (5 wins, 2 draws).
- Both opponents scored in 7 of Empoli's last 8 home matches in this tournament within 90 minutes.
- At least three goals have been scored in Empoli's last 7 of 9 home matches in the Coppa Italia during regular time.
Predicted lineup for Empoli (3-5-2)
Davis Vasquez – Saba Goglichidze, Mattia De Sciglio, Liberato Cacace – Emmanuel Gyasi, Alberto Grassi, Youssef Maleh, Liam Henderson, Giuseppe Pezzella – Christian Kouamé, Sebastiano Esposito.
Defender Ardian Ismajli and midfielders Nicolas Haas and Youssef Maleh will miss the game due to injuries.
Bologna
Vincenzo Italiano's side advanced to the semi-finals with victories over Monza (4-0) and Atalanta (1-0). This marks the first time Bologna has reached this stage of the national cup in the 21st century. Notably, the club has not lost or conceded in regular time in six consecutive matches in this tournament (4 wins, 2 draws).
- The team has not won in regular time in 6 of their last 8 away matches in the Coppa Italia (4 draws, 2 losses).
- At least one of the opponents failed to score in 5 of Bologna's last 5 away matches in this tournament within 90 minutes.
- Bologna has not conceded in the second half in 6 of their last 7 away matches in the Coppa Italia.
Predicted lineup for Bologna (4-5-1)
Lukasz Skorupski – Charalampos Lykogiannis, Sam Beukema, Jhon Lucumí, Emil Holm – Remo Freuler, Giovanni Fabbian, Tommaso Pobega, Jens Odgaard, Dan Ndoye – Thijs Dallinga.
Defenders Lorenzo De Silvestri and Charalampos Lykogiannis will miss the match due to injuries.
Referee
Luca Zufferli (Italy)
Matches – 13 (Serie A and Coppa Italia, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 36;
Average yellow cards per match – 2.8;
Red cards shown – 2;
Average fouls per match – 22;
Penalties – 23%.
Empoli vs. Bologna: Match Prediction
Empoli's successful performance in the national cup is likely to boost the players' morale. The team's chances of a positive result are further enhanced by their home advantage: they have lost in regular time only twice in their last 12 home matches in the Coppa Italia (6 wins, 4 draws). Additionally, the club has not lost in 8 of their last 9 home Serie A encounters (5 wins, 3 draws).
Bologna has struggled to achieve success in away matches in the Coppa Italia recently. The victory over Atalanta in the quarter-finals was an exception, as the club had not won in regular time in 8 of their previous 10 away matches in this tournament (5 draws, 3 losses). Moreover, in 4 out of 5 cases during this period, when the match went to extra time, the team was eventually eliminated from the Coppa Italia.
I expect Empoli to secure a positive result at home. My prediction: Empoli to win or draw
