Empoli vs Hellas Verona Preview & Prediction | 2023-24 Italian Serie A
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THE FACTS
When is Empoli vs Hellas Verona on and what time does it start? Empoli vs Hellas Verona will take place on Saturday 19th August, 2023 – 17:30 (UK)
Where can I get tickets for Empoli vs Hellas Verona? Visit each club’s official website for the latest ticket information
What TV channel is Empoli vs Hellas Verona on in the UK? TNT Sports have the rights to televise Serie A matches in the UK, so it is worth checking their schedule for Empoli vs Hellas Verona
Where can I stream Empoli vs Hellas Verona in the UK? If Empoli vs Hellas Verona is televised on TNT Sports, then subscribers can stream the match live on discovery+
THE LOWDOWN
EMPOLI
Last season, Empoli survivd the drop finishing Serie A in 14th place under the management of Paolo Zanetti, who remains in charge of the Florence based club. Their summer window has been a relatively quiet one but they have brought in some interesting additions such as Elia Caprile, Matteo Cancellieri, Emmanuel Gyasi and Daniel Maldini.
Over the summer, in pre-season, Empoli have played five matches but two of those games were against lower league opposition in Calcio Castelfiorentino and Calcio Certaldo, who they defeated by a combined score of 18-0. In their other matches, they have narrowly beaten Lille, narrowly lost to Heidenhem and lost 2-0 to Freiburg.
HELLAS VERONA
At the end of the 2022/23 campaign, Hellas Verona took part in a dramatic and historic relegation playoff match. In the first season since it was re-introduced for any teams level on points in meaningful places in the table to have an end of season playoff, it went and happened with Spezia and Verona in 17th and 18th respectively. Verona went on to overcome their opposition to remain in Italy’s top-flight.
During the off season, the visitors, who had three managers last season: former Crawley Town boss Gabriele Cioffi, Salvatore Bocchetti and Marco Zaffaroni, will start the season with former Lecce boss Marco Baroni in charge. Baroni led a Lecce side to promotion in 2022 and kept them firmly in mid-table playing some entertaining stuff in Serie A last season.
THE TEAM NEWS
EMPOLI
The common theme in modern day management in Serie A is a quite proactive and fun to watch style of football. Paolo Zanetti is slightly more defensive and reactive with a narrow 4-3-1-2 system his preference. Irritatingly for Zanetti, Empoli will be without new loanee Daniel Maldini due to injury.
PREDICTED XI (4-3-1-2): Caprile; Ebuehi, Luperto, Walukiewicz, Pezzella; Fazzini, Grassi, Marin; Baldanzi; Gyasi, Caputo
UNAVAILABLE: Maldini (Injured)
QUESTIONABLE:
HELLAS VERONA
Marco Baroni’s preferred formation has been an attacking 4-3-3 so expect that to be the case, even in the absence of injured duo Danny Lazovic and Thomas Henry as well as suspended duo captain Marco Faraoni and Isak Hien.
PREDICTED XI (4-3-3): Montipo; Gunter, Dawidowicz, Amione, Doig; Folorunsho, Hongla, Saponara; Ngonge, Bonazzoli, Mboula
UNAVAILABLE: Faraoni (Suspended), Hien (Suspended), Ruegg (Injured), Lazovic (Injured), Henry (Injured)
QUESTIONABLE:
THE PREDICTION
At home on the opening day of the season, despite as mentioned being a relatively reactive coach, it is to be expected that Paolo Zanetti allows his Empoli team to play with a bit more freedom and with a number ten plus two strikers on the pitch, they will be expected to attack and get after Verona. Verona, on the other hand, hoping to not be involved in a relegation battle again, will play their own proactive style of football with an attacking 4-3-3 shape and this one could be an entertaining opening day clash for the neutral.
TIP: BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE
