Verona-Empoli is a Serie A Week 37 match to be played on Sunday at 12:30: lineups, predictions, TV and streaming.
Significant loss for Verona, one of the three teams still fighting for salvation along with Lecce and Spezia. The team led by Marco Zaffaroni and Salvatore Bocchetti, after achieving a crucial success in the direct clash with the Salentini, lost two in a row. They surrendered first to Torino (0-1) and then to Atalanta (3-1), returning to third-last place.
The defeat in Bergamo was to be taken into account, given that Dea are in the running for more ambitious goals such as Europe. Less understandable was the defeat in front of their own public against former coach Juric’s Granata, who have little to say in this championship. Meanwhile, Spezia and Lecce drew 0-0 in the last round, helping to move their respective rankings: the Ligurians reached 31 points, one more than the Scaligeri, while Marco Baroni’s Giallorossi have 33. This means that Verona have no other results at their disposal in the lunch match of the penultimate day against Empoli: in the event of a defeat against the Azzurri, the Gialloblù risk even relegation with a round in advance, if at the same time Spezia and Lecce get the better of Torino and Monza. Zaffaroni and his men, in short, are no longer masters of their destiny, but in addition to having to win, they must hope that their direct competitors do not do so either.
Empoli haven’t won away from home since January
Empoli, however, already showed last Monday against Juventus that they are not thinking about the holidays, despite having salvation already in their pocket for a fortnight now.
Paolo Zanetti’s team even wreaked havoc on the Bianconeri, who had just received the news of the penalty for the capital gains case, beating Vlahovic and his team-mates with a mortifying 4-1. In all probability it was the best performance of the season for the Tuscans. Who, despite a second half of the season in a minor key, as was the case last year, managed to save themselves ahead of schedule and were never really involved in the fight for relegation. The historic victory against Juve is the fourth result in a row for Empoli: at home the Azzurri have won their last three matches (Juventus, Salernitana and Bologna), while the last away success dates back to last January, when they won against Inter at the San Siro.
Verona-Empoli: latest line-up news
Verona’s infirmary is again saturated. For Dawidowicz, Doig, Duda and Henry the championship is over, while against Empoli Lazovic and Lasagna will almost certainly be out. In defence Zaffaroni will have to choose one between Magnani and Ceccherini, instead Coppola is favoured in the ballot with Cabal. Up front Verdi and Ngonge will support the only forward Djuric.
In Empoli, the injured Walukiewicz, Marin and De Winter are absent, but Parisi and Bandinelli, who are disqualified, will also be missing. The midfield of three will be made up of Akpa Akpro, Haas and Grassi, with Fazzini in the three-quarter, who will deputise for Baldanzi, who is engaged with the national team at the Mondial Under-20. In attack there will be space for Caputo and Cambiaghi.
The Prediction
Total balance in the previous meetings between Verona and Empoli in Serie A: four wins on each side and three draws. The last two matches in chronological order ended in a draw, both 1-1. The Scaligeri, however, have won four of the previous five home matches. A figure that comforts Zaffaroni and his men, who are called upon to make the home factor count in a match that has practically no value other than their own. Motivation in these cases can make the difference, and that’s why you can safely put a chip on Verona’s victory in a match with at least two goals in total.
Verona v Empoli likely line-up
- VERONA (3-4-2-1): Montipò; Coppola, Hien, Ceccherini; Faraoni, Abildgaard, Tameze, Depaoli; Ngonge, Verdi; Djuric.
- EMPOLI (4-3-1-2): Vicario; Ebuehi, Ismajli, Luperto, Cacace; Akpa-Akpro, Grassi, Haas; Fazzini; Caputo, Cambiaghi.
POSSIBLE RESULT: 2-1
