Empoli-Salernitana is a match of the thirty-fourth day of Serie A and is played on Monday at 6:30 pm: lineups, predictions, TV and streaming.
The fight for salvation, for now, is not an affair between Empoli and Salernitana, two teams that have almost reached their season goal. Azzurri and granata, when there are five days left to the end of the championship, are paired at 35 points: they still need a few more to be sure of playing in Serie A next year as well.
The last midweek round has been a blessing for both: the Tuscans returned to smile after as many as three defeats in a row, ending a fast of victories that had lasted more than a month. Paolo Zanetti’s men had a burst of pride once they recognized the danger, also quite real, of being sucked back into the relegation tussle. And in front of their own public they overwhelmed one of the most in-form teams in the top division, Bologna, with a clear 3-1 victory. At times, against the Felsinei, the Empoli of the first part of the season seemed to be back, the one that was in a hurry to put the salvation points on the table. Zanetti managed to retrace the footsteps — for better or worse — of his predecessor Andreazzoli: even last year the Azzurri played a brilliant first half only to relax excessively in the second half. In any case, the Tuscan formation is inches away from the finish line: the same goes for Salernitana.
Empoli and Salernitana one step away from the finish line
Paulo Sousa’s granata last Wednesday got caught up three times by Fiorentina in a match that provided a thousand emotions. The cover was taken again by him, Boulaye Dia, author of a hat-trick after the goal that a week ago had forced Napoli to postpone by a few days their celebration of winning the tricolor.
Botheim exults with Dia
The Senegalese striker is the man of the moment and in the Arechi match he did not forgive any defensive carelessness to Italiano’s Viola, which was skewered on the counterattack. Dia reached 15 goals: in his first season in Serie A only Berardi and Hubner had managed it. He also surpassed Marco Di Vaio in Salernitana’s special top league scorers list. Sousa can be proud of the path his boys are on, unbeaten even since last February. Last Wednesday’s draw with Fiorentina extended the streak of matches without defeat to ten, a record that in the five big European leagues at the moment can boast only Manchester City. While waiting to see what will happen between Lecce and Verona, both Salernitana and Empoli, thanks to an 8-point margin over the red zone, can mortgage salvation.
Empoli-Salernitana: the latest news on the lineups
Zanetti, having to do without only De Winter, can afford some rotation: in attack, for example, Piccoli could give Caputo a rest. Confirmations instead for Baldanzi and Cambiaghi. In the middle will see Bandinelli again, in defense finally space for Ismajli.
Crowded infirmary instead for Sousa, who is still struggling with the doubt Candreva. The outfielder has not recovered from his calf injury and could also miss the Empoli match. Besides him, Gyomber, Fazio, Crnigoj and Valencia are also unavailable. In front, Botheim is in a ballot with Piatek, while at the back Daniliuc will take on Lovato.
The prediction
An important indication could come from the last two previous matches, both of which ended in a draw. A point, in fact, could benefit both. Salernitana, after all, is now a seasoned draw habitué, having collected as many as eight in the last 10 days. It would not be a surprise, finally, if both find the way of the goal.
The likely lineups of Empoli-Salernitana
- EMPOLI (4-3-1-2): Vicario; Ebuehi, Ismajli, Luperto, Parisi; Akpa-Akpro, Marin, Bandinelli; Baldanzi; Caputo, Cambiaghi.
- SALERNITANA (3-4-2-1): Ochoa; Daniliuc, Troost-Ekong, Pirola; Sambia, Vilhena, Coulibaly, Mazzocchi; Dia, Kastanos; Botheim.
POSSIBLE RESULT: 1-1
