Italian Serie A - Napoli VS Empoli Prediction
Italian Serie A - Napoli VS Empoli
Match Time:15-04-2025 02:45 Tuesday (GMT+8)
Football Livescore | Match Prediction & Tips
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SSC Napoli
Napoli will be without two key starters on Monday due to suspension. Giovanni Di Lorenzo, the club captain and a regular at right-back, picked up a yellow card in the draw against Bologna and will miss the match through suspension. He is joined on the sidelines by midfield engine Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa, who also received a caution that triggered a one-match ban.
Injury concerns continue to plague Antonio Conte, with defender Alessandro Buongiorno sidelined due to a muscle issue. Additionally, Leonardo Spinazzola and backup goalkeeper Nikita Contini remain unavailable with lingering injuries. Meanwhile, first-choice goalkeeper Alex Meret missed the Bologna match through illness and will undergo a late fitness assessment ahead of kickoff. If he is not cleared to play, Simone Scuffet, who started in Emilia-Romagna, will retain his place between the posts.
Despite Napoli’s recent inconsistencies, Romelu Lukaku remains one of the most decisive players in Serie A this season. With 11 goals to his name, no player in the league has scored more match-winning goals (6), and Conte will once again turn to the Belgian to deliver when it matters most.
Napoli are expected to line up in a 4-3-3 formation. If Alex Meret is unavailable, Simone Scuffet will start in goal. The defensive quartet should include Pasquale Mazzocchi at right-back in place of Di Lorenzo, with Amir Rrahmani and Alessandro Buongiorno, if fit, partnering in central defence, and Mathías Olivera operating from left-back.
In midfield, with Anguissa suspended, Billy Gilmour, Stanislav Lobotka, and Scott McTominay are expected to form the trio. Lobotka will likely sit deepest, orchestrating play from the base, while McTominay and Gilmour provide forward thrust and ball recovery.
Up front, Matteo Politano will start on the right flank, with David Neres offering flair and width from the left. Leading the line will be Romelu Lukaku, whose strength, movement, and finishing continue to be Napoli’s most consistent threat in front of the goal. The Belgian striker will look to exploit Empoli’s defensive fragility and steer the hosts to another crucial home win.
Empoli FC
Roberto D’Aversa will have to navigate a growing injury crisis as his side travels to face high-flying Napoli. A long list of absentees includes Ardian Ismajli (thigh), Christian Kouamé (knee), Marco Silvestri (finger), Nicolas Haas (knee), Pietro Pellegri (knee), Saba Sazonov (knee), Szymon Żurkowski (knee), and Youssef Maleh (knee), all of whom have been ruled out. Additionally, Tino Anjorin is in doubt and will be assessed prior to kickoff due to a muscle complaint.
Despite these limitations, the frontline continues to provide flashes of hope. Sebastiano Esposito leads the club’s scoring chart with eight goals, contributing to a remarkable 33.3% of Empoli’s total of 24 goals in Serie A this season. His strike partner, Lorenzo Colombo, has five goals and two match-winners to his name, accounting for 20.8% of their goal tally. Both forwards remain pivotal to Empoli’s survival chances.
D’Aversa is expected to set up his side in a 3-4-2-1 formation. Devis Vasquez will feature in goal, shielded by a back three comprising Saba Goglichidze, Luca Marianucci, and Mattia Viti. The trio will be tasked with resisting the movement and physicality of Napoli’s front line.
In the wing-back roles, Emmanuel Gyasi will operate on the right flank, while Giuseppe Pezzella is expected to start on the left. The central midfield pairing will consist of Alberto Grassi and Liam Henderson, offering a mix of work rate and defensive stability.
Just behind the striker, Sebastiano Esposito and Liberato Cacace are likely to operate as dual attacking midfielders, tasked with connecting the lines and capitalising on transitional moments. Leading the line will be Lorenzo Colombo, who will aim to stretch Napoli’s defence and look for space behind the centre-backs.
Napoli possible starting lineup:
Scuffet; Mazzocchi, Rrahmani, Buongiorno, Olivera; Gilmour, Lobotka, McTominay; Politano, Lukaku, Neres
Empoli possible starting lineup:
Vasquez; Goglichidze, Marianucci, Viti; Gyasi, Grassi, Henderson, Pezella; Esposito, Cacace; Colombo
Napoli vs Empoli Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
Napoli have a good recent record against Empoli and have won 28 out of the last 50 matches played between the two teams, as opposed to Empoli's 12 victories.
Napoli and Empoli are evenly matched over their last 20 matches in Serie A and have won eight matches apiece with four draws.
The previous draw played out between Napoli and Empoli in Serie A took place in September 2015 and ended in a 2-2 stalemate, with Napoli winning seven of the 12 matches following this game.
After a run of only one victory in eight matches away from home against Napoli in Serie A, Empoli have won two of their last three such games in the competition.
Napoli have conceded at least one goal in their last five home games in Serie A.
Prediction: Napoli 2-1 Empoli
While Napoli are seven unbeaten at the Maradona since December, four of their five wins have been by one-goal margins. Although the Partenopei have not scored three goals in any game in front of their supporters since October, facing a side with Empoli's away record suggests that the title contenders should claim maximum points on Monday, even if the home crowd might expect another nervy encounter.
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