Hellas Verona vs Empoli Preview & Prediction | 2023-24 Italian Serie A
THE FACTS
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When is Hellas Verona vs Empoli on and what time does it start? Hellas Verona vs Empoli will take place on Saturday 13th January – 17:00 (UK)
Where can I get tickets for Hellas Verona vs Empoli? Visit each club’s official website for the latest ticket information
What TV channel is Hellas Verona vs Empoli on in the UK? TNT Sports have the rights to Serie A matches in the UK, so it is worth checking their schedule for Hellas Verona vs Empoli
Where can I stream Hellas Verona vs Empoli in the UK? If Hellas Verona vs Empoli is televised on TNT Sports, then subscribers can stream the match live on discovery+
THE LOWDOWN
HELLAS VERONA
After avoiding relegation last season by defeating Spezia in the end of season relegation playoff, Hellas Verona began the 2023/24 Serie A campaign well with back-to-back victories. The last time they started a season with two wins out of two, they went and won their only league title but that is very much not going to be the case this time around.
Following on from those two victories, Hellas Verona have managed just one win in their next 17 matches under the management of former Lecce boss Marco Baroni. That means they begin the weekend’s round of fixtures sitting firmly in the bottom three and the relegation places after a 2-1 defeat to Internazionale in their most recent outing, last weekend.
EMPOLI
It has been a bit of a nightmare-ish start to the 2023/24 Serie A campaign for Florence-based club Empoli so far. They have spent a couple of seasons treading water in the bottom-half of the table but have already had to move on from Paolo Zanetti to the returning Aurelio Andreazzoli but now Andreazzoli is coming under pressure, too.
In 19 matches so far this season, Empoli have managed to score just ten goals and they are comfortably the lowest scorers in the division with the next lowest tally being 16 set by their upcoming opponents, Verona, and bottom-of-the-table Salernitana. They were hammered 3-0 by AC Milan last Sunday.
THE TEAM NEWS
HELLAS VERONA
Darko Lazovic is out suspended for this weekend’s visit of Empoli and he will be joined by Pawel Dawidowicz on the sidelines with the Polish international out injured.
PREDICTED XI (4-2-3-1): Montipo; Tchatchoua, Magnani, Coppola, Doig; Duda, Folorunsho; Ngonge, Suslov, Mboula; Duric
UNAVAILABLE: Lazovic (Suspended), Dawidowicz (Injured)
QUESTIONABLE:
EMPOLI
The visitors have several injury concerns, such as Tyronne Ebuehi, Simone Bastoni and Giuseppe Pezzella, whilst Bartosz Bereszynski is a doubt.
PREDICTED XI (4-3-1-2): Caprile; Ranocchia, Ismajli, Walukiewicz, Luperto; Gyasi, Grassi, Maleh; Baldanzi; Cambiaghi, Caputo
UNAVAILABLE: Fazzini (Injured), Ebuehi (Injured), Bastoni (Injured), Pezzella (Injured)
QUESTIONABLE: Bereszynski (Injured), Guarino (Injured)
THE PREDICTION
As mentioned, these are two of the weakest sides in Serie A and they are not just generally poor but they are very dull to watch with just 26 goals scored between them so far this season. Hellas Verona have won just one game since mid-August and that came against fellow strugglers Cagliari in unconvincing fashion, whilst Empoli are nearing an average of a goal every two matches. This is unlikely to be a thriller for the neutral but could be pivotal in the relegation battle.
TIP: UNDER 2.5 GOALS
