Serie A: Revamped Empoli Out to Ambush Juve at Home

Empoli vs Juventus

The Stadio Carlo Castellani will oversee the clash of two undefeated Serie A teams this season as Empoli host Juventus on Saturday evening.

After barely escaping relegation last season, Empoli have turned heads with their undefeated start to their 2024-25 campaign. They were held by Monza and Bologna, but they pulled off a huge 2-1 upset against AS Roma in between those draws, so their confidence is at an all-time high.

Juventus are also in a great mood because they look rejuvenated under their new manager. With two wins and one draw, the Old Lady is right up there with defending champions Inter Milan at the top of the standings.

The pre-game SBOTOP betting odds expect Juventus to win, but Empoli have shown before that they can take a massive scalp against their incoming visitors. Will this be the case again this weekend?

 

Talking Points

An unlikely hero emerges for Empoli

Empoli went through a surplus of changes during the summer transfer window, which saw them lose some of their key players from last season.

M’Baye Niang, Matteo Cancellieri, and Francesco Caputo, among others, have left the team, leaving Roberto D’Aversa fewer tools to work with.

However, to his credit, D’Aversa didn’t make any excuses because he has seemingly turned this team into a cohesive unit by giving chances to some of their unheralded players.

The one player that has benefited the most so far is Emmanuel Gyasi. The Palermo-born winger has already outdone himself last season since he now has two league goals after three games.

Because of his fine performances against AS Roma and Bologna, Gyasi has been named Man of the Match twice before the international break.

Despite Gyasi’s superb form, Empoli remain the underdogs against Juventus because they will play this match without several key figures.

Head coach Roberto D’Aversa will continue to serve his touchline ban, while Szymon Zurkowski, Tyronne Ebuehi, and Samuele Perisan are ruled out due to injury.

On the other hand, a familiar face could haunt Juventus, as late arrival Mattia De Sciglio could make his Empoli debut as soon as this Sunday, likely as part of their three-man defence.

 

Vlahovic earning his bucks at Juventus

Dusan Vlahovic is officially the highest-paid player in Serie A this season after Victor Osimhen left Napoli to go to Galatasaray this summer on loan. According to Football Italia, the Serbian hitman is earning €12 million in wages this year.

And so far, Vlahovic is living up to his wage bill since he now has two goals to lead the team in scoring after notching a brace against Hellas Verona in late August.

Vlahovic has scored four Serie A goals against Empoli already, including his first brace for Juventus, making him the one player to look out for in the Serie A 2024 highlights reel.

Juventus are only going to get better with the impending returns of Tim Weah and Khephren Thuram after they overcame their recent knocks, while Bianconeri supporters couldn’t wait for their latest summer signing, Teun Koopmeiners, to make his debut.

 

History

Empoli are aiming to remain undefeated in two consecutive Serie A matches against Juventus for the first time since 1998-99 (W1, D1) this weekend after they shared the spoils in their last league match in January.

Juventus were reduced to 10 men at the Allianz Stadium when Arek Milik was sent off in the 18^th minute, but Dusan Vlahovic gave them a 1-0 lead in the 50^th minute before Tommaso Baldanzi scored the equaliser 20 minutes later.

The Bianconeri, however, have won six of their last seven Serie A away matches against Empoli (D1), scoring 16 goals in the process and conceding eight.

Thiago Motta’s side could keep a clean sheet in their first four Serie A matches of the season for only the fifth time in their history on Sunday after last doing so in 2014-15, 1986-87, 1983-84, and 1965-66.

 

Betting Tip

As mentioned, the Serie A 2024 odds predict a win for the visitors. Juventus are 1.75 favourites, while Empoli are 4.39 underdogs, and a draw is at 3.30 in the 1X2 market.

Other than going for a Juve victory, bettors may opt for a relatively high-scoring affair because of Thiago Motta’s tactics, making Total Goal 2-3 at 1.97 and Over 2.25 at 1.92 worth considering.

The partisan crowd at the Stadio Carlo Castellani would probably be happy if their team somehow pulls out yet another draw. And a Correct Score of 1-1 – the result of their most recent league meeting – has a solid offer of 6.60.

   

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