Serie A 2022-23: Empoli vs Napoli: Predicted lineup, injury news, head-to-head, telecast

Rajarshi has been part of Khel Now since 2022, and he covers world football.

Published at :February 23, 2023 at 9:06 PM

Modified at :February 23, 2023 at 9:06 PM

12th place Gli Azzurri hosts the league leaders on Saturday evening

Empoli comes into this match off a 1-1 tie in Serie A against Fiorentina. Over their last six games, Empoli, managed by Paolo Zanetti, have managed to score seven goals. In contrast, during the same period, they have been the victims of seven goals.

Napoli enters the game fresh off a 0-2 victory against Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League. The SSC Napoli defence has put on a string of consistent performances, as seen by the fact that they have only given up one goal in their last six games overall. They have themselves scored 14 goals within that time period. Time will ultimately determine whether this trend will continue.

Kick-off:

Saturday, 25-02-2023; 5 p.m. GMT, 10:30 p.m. IST

Empoli form (all competitions): W-W-D-L-D-D

Napoli form (all competition): W-W-W-W-W

Players to watch

Empoli: Nicolo Cambiaghi

Cambiaghi has been Empoli’s source of goals this term, as the player has found the back of the net in the last two games and will hope to continue this trend when he faces Napoli on Saturday.

Napoli: Victory Osimhen

The Nigerian has been a surprise this season and has single-handedly scored half of Napoli's goals. His revelation this season has seen many clubs looking to sign him. Osimhen has been a threat and will be ready to cause problems to Empoli’s defence.

Match facts

In the 2023 season, Napoli averaged 2.66 goals scored per game. Over 1.5 goals were scored in 15 (78.95%) away games (team and opponent).
Empoli averaged 1.41 goals per game throughout the actual season. Over 1.5 goals were scored in 14 (73.68%) of the home games (team and opponent).

Head-to-head stats

Matches: 28

Empoli: 10

Draws: 6

Napoli: 12

Injuries and team news

For Empoli manager Paolo Zanetti, Mattia Destro (calf issues) and Lorenzo Tonelli (cruciate ligament injury) won't be available. Jean-Daniel Akpa Akpro and Filippo Bandinelli are ineligible players who are prohibited from participating in this game due to suspension.

There is only one fitness question for Napoli manager Luciano Spalletti out of a group of players who are mostly available. Giacomo Raspadori won't be participating because of a hamstring injury.

Predicted lineup

Empoli predicted lineup (4-3-2-1):

Vicario; Ebuehi; Ismajli; Luperto; Cacace; Akpa-Akpro; Marin; Bandinelli; Baldanzi; Caputo; Cambiaghi

Napoli predicted lineup (4-3-3):

Meret; Di Lorenzo, Kim, Rrahmani, Rui; Lobotka, Anguissa, Zielinski; Lozano, Osimhen, Kvaratskhelia

Prediction

Our opinion is that Empoli will likely score one against this SSC Napoli team, but that won't likely be as many as the goals they could give up.

Our prediction is for a close encounter with a final score of Prediction 1-2 in favour of SSC Napoli. Anticipating fierce competition.

Where and how can I watch the match?

USA: Paramount+

India: Sony Liv, Jio Tv

UK: BT Sport

Nigeria: DSTV and GOTV

Rajarshi Shukla

After earning a bachelor's degree in mass media, Rajarshi began his career as a sports writer in 2019, driven by his passion for sports journalism. He has been working in the field for over six years. A devoted fan of Lionel Messi and Barcelona, Rajarshi has been involved in sports since childhood. Before turning his focus to journalism, he even represented his college at the state level. Along with covering football, he enjoys playing the game, watching movies, and experimenting with new recipes in his spare time, as cooking is one of his favorite hobbies.