Relegation-threatened Empoli need to show some improvement after the back to back defeats to Cagliari and Sassuolo, but this is definitely not the right time to be facing leaders Juventus. Having suffered a shock defeat to Genoa in midweek, the Bianconeri will have an extra motivation to win at Stadio Carlo Castellani.

Two costly defeats

Empoli did well to return to elite division after six years, but it is perfectly clear the Azzurri face a tough task in an attempt to avoid the drop. Operating on a tight budget, the club were unable to sign high-profile reinforcements in the summer, while loan signings Diego Laxalt and Piotr Zielinski have yet to be handed a chance to impress. In Francesco Tavano and Massimo Maccarone, Empoli have one of the oldest attacking partnerships in the league, and while the two players obviously possess a wealth of experience, it looks as though their best years have passed. The Azzurri didn’t have such a bad start to the season, with the players riding the wave of excitement surrounding promotion, but their last two performances are a serious cause for concern. Empoli were hammered 4-0 by Cagliari at home before losing 3-1 to fellow strugglers Sassuolo, so I really don’t see how they are going to fare any better against arguably the strongest team in the league. The busy schedule is unlikely to help either given that coach Maurizio Sarri doesn’t exactly have proper replacements for his regular starters.

First choice keeper Luigi Seppe remains injury doubt, while midfielder Tiberio Guarente continues to miss out through a knee problem.

Very unfortunate loss to Genoa

Juventus quickly squandered a three-point cushion at the top of the standings, with unexpected setbacks against Sassuolo and Genoa allowing Roma to catch them at the top. As expected, the Bianconeri were the dominant force in both of those matches and created more than enough chances to win, but they lacked a smile from the Lady Luck, with Genoa scoring the winner in dying moments from virtually the only shot on goal. Nevertheless, this Juventus side have got more than enough quality and experience to get downhearted by two under-par results and this is likely to make the players even more motivated to record a morale-boosting victory against weak Empoli. Unlike his counterpart, Max Allegri has the courtesy of rotating his squad while making sure the performances do not suffer and that is another huge advantage for the visitors. Juventus will be playing a crucial Champions League game against Olympiakos on Tuesday and they will want to seriously improve their spirits with a big win beforehand.

Andrea Barzagli, Simone Pepe, Martin Caceres and Patrice Evra continue to miss out, while Alvaro Morata and Andrea Pirlo are pushing for starts.

Verdict

Having been soundly beaten by both Cagliari and Sassuolo, Empoli face a mountain to climb against wounded Juventus and I just cannot see the hosts getting anything from this match. The Bianconeri were pretty unfortunate of late and the Azzurri are expected to pay the price for their recent setbacks.

Top pick: Juventus/Juventus   2.20 (6/5) @ BetVictor

Alternative pick 1: Juventus to win to nil   2.38 (11/8) @ SkyBet

Alternative pick 2: Juventis with -1.5 AH   2.30 (13/10) @ TitanBet