The Matchday 18 Serie A clash between Empoli and Genoa will take place on December 28 at the Carlo Castellani Stadium. Empoli vs. Genoa: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Referee: Antonio Rapuano (Italy)
Matches – 7 (Serie A, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 42;
Average yellow cards per match – 6;
Red cards shown – 3;
Average fouls per match – 28;
Penalties – 14%.
Predicted lineups for Empoli vs. Genoa
Empoli (3-4-3): Devis Vasquez – Saba Goglichidze, Liberato Cacace, Ardian Ismajli – Emmanuel Gyasi, Alberto Grassi, Tino Anjorin, Giuseppe Pezzella – Sebastiano Esposito, Lorenzo Colombo, Liam Henderson.
Genoa (4-2-3-1): Nicola Leali – Aaron Martin Caricol, Johan Vasquez, Stefano Sabelli, Mattia Bani – Milan Badelj, Morten Frendrup – Vitinha, Fabio Miretti, Alessandro Zanoli – Andrea Pinamonti.
The starting lineup for each team in their last match in this tournament is listed.
Empoli
In the previous round, Roberto D'Aversa's team suffered a 2-3 away defeat to Atalanta. Empoli was close to earning points but conceded a decisive goal late in the game, marking their second consecutive loss in the league. Additionally, the club conceded more than two goals for the third time this Serie A season. In the standings, the team is in 11th place with 19 points. Notably, Empoli has conceded more goals (19) than only six other clubs in the current championship.
Defenders Mattia Viti and Tyronne Ebuehi, midfielders Nicolas Haas and Jacopo Fazzini, and forward Ola Solbakken will miss the match due to injuries. Defender Giuseppe Pezzella is suspended.
- The club has not won in 7 of their last 8 home matches in Serie A (4 draws, 3 losses).
- The team has not scored more than once in eight of their previous home league games.
- At least one of the opponents failed to score in 7 of Empoli's last 8 home Serie A matches.
Genoa
Patrick Vieira's side lost 1-2 at home to Napoli in the previous round. As a result, Genoa's six-match unbeaten run in the league (2 wins, 4 draws) was halted. Moreover, the team conceded for the first time in four Serie A matches. The club is in 13th place in the standings, trailing Empoli by three points. It's worth noting that all three of Genoa's wins in the current championship have been away from home.
Defender Koni De Winter, midfielder Ruslan Malinovskyi, and forward Jeff Ehator will miss the match due to injuries.
- The team has not won in 7 of their last 10 away matches in Serie A (3 draws, 4 losses).
- At least one of the opponents failed to score in 7 of the club's last 8 away league matches.
- No more than two goals have been scored in 6 of Genoa's last 8 away Serie A matches.
Empoli vs. Genoa: Match Prediction
Even at home, Empoli is not inclined to play open and aggressive attacking football, preferring solid defensive actions in their penalty area. The club's scoring efficiency is lacking: in the current Serie A season, Roberto D'Aversa's side has scored only two goals in eight home matches. At the same time, the team has conceded more than one goal at home only once this season, keeping four clean sheets.
Genoa plays in a similar style, especially in away matches: in 6 of their last 7 away Serie A games, the club has not breached the opponents' defense more than once. Meanwhile, they strive to avoid major defensive errors, having kept a clean sheet in their last three away league matches.
Notably, in the previous Serie A season, these teams played to a 0-0 draw at Empoli's ground. I expect another low-scoring match, so my prediction: Total under 2.5 goals
