Two out-of-form teams face off this weekend but the home side should prevail according to these Serie A Sassuolo vs. Empoli predictions. The two sides are separated by just two places in the league table although the hosts boast an eight-point advantage.
Sassuolo vs. Empoli odds
1 – Sassuolo to win – 13/16
2 – Sassuolo to keep a clean sheet – 5/6
3 – Under 2.5 goals scored – 1/1
4 – Sassuolo to win by one goal -11/4
5 – Domenico Berardi to score anytime – 7/5
Sassuolo look to bounce back from a disappointing defeat last weekend as they welcome Empoli to the Mapei Stadium on Sunday afternoon. The Neroverdi have recently lost to two teams below them in the Serie A table, in Salernitana and Verona, and will hope this weekend does not result in a defeat to the team in 15th place.
Fortunately for the hosts, Paolo Zanetti’s side is in even worse form and have failed to win 11 out of their last 12 Serie A fixtures. The Azzurri’s solid start to the season means that they are unlikely to be drawn into a relegation battle but yet another loss on Sunday will have them looking over their shoulders.
Despite Sassuolo’s struggles in the past few weeks, which have seen them win just one of their last four games, the dismal results of their opponents suggest that a home win is likely to be on the cards.
Unfortunately for the neutral, Sunday’s clash is unlikely to be a goal-fest. Empoli have failed to score in any of their last three games, and whilst they may point towards tricky opponents in both Milan-based teams, the Azzurri have the second worst goalscoring record in the league.
This should work to the hosts’ advantage, as they have also struggled in front of goal this season, averaging just 0.8 goals per game across their last five matches. A wager on Sassuolo to retain a clean sheet and to win by just one goal may therefore be well worth the risk.
Alessio Dionisi’s lack of a goalscoring threat has been a problem all season, with the fitness struggles of captain Domenico Berardi proving a real problem. But the winger is tipped to return after two games out on Sunday and is our tip to score anytime against Empoli.
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Sassuolo vs. Empoli last five matches
Sassuolo last five matches
Empoli last five matches
Sassuolo top goalscorers
| Player | Total goals |
|---|---|
| 12 | |
| 7 | |
| 7 | |
| 5 | |
| 4 |
Empoli top goalscorers
| Player | Total goals |
|---|---|
| 6 | |
| 5 | |
| 4 | |
| 2 | |
| 2 |
Sassuolo vs. Empoli line-ups
Sassuolo (4-3-3): Consigli; Toljan, Ruan, Ferrari, Rogerio; Frattesi, Lopez, Henrique; Berardi, Pinamonti, Lauriente
Empoli (4-3-1-2) Perisan; Ebuehi, Ismajli, Luperto, Parisi; Haas, Marin, Bandinelli; Baldanzi; Caputo, Cambiaghi
Sassuolo team news
Alessio Dionisi is expected to welcome Domenico Berardi back from an extended injury absence, with the captain stepping back into the starting XI. The coach has no further injury worries but may look to hand Andrea Pinamonti a start over Gregoire Defrel on Sunday.
Empoli team news
Guglielmo Vicario remains absent for Empoli, with the goalkeeper expected to miss out once again on Sunday. Koni De Winter is also sidelined, but Daniel Akpa may be able to return to the bench – although he is unlikely to start in Paolo Zanetti’s midfield.