Preview: Empoli vs. Napoli - prediction, team news, lineups

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Sports Mole previews Sunday's Serie A clash between Empoli and Napoli, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.

After posting six wins from seven before the international break, Napoli aim to pick up where they left off in Serie A's Sunday lunchtime contest, as they visit Empoli at Stadio Carlo Castellani.

While the Partenopei have been in scintillating form under new management, their hosts have also responded well to a fresh face in the dugout and are yet to lose a home game.

Match preview

Scott McTominay of Napoli, October 2024 © Imago

Having taken the lead through Scott McTominay within one minute of kickoff, ruthless Napoli went on to secure a 3-1 victory over Como just before international football intervened, extending their unbeaten streak to six matches.

Fellow summer signings Romelu Lukaku and David Neres were on target at Stadio Maradona, making them the Serie A club with most different scorers in all competitions this season (11) - across Europe's top five leagues, only Bayern Munich and Brighton & Hove Albion have produced more.

A superb run of results took Napoli top of the table for the first time since concluding their Scudetto-winning campaign in mid-2023, leaving them two points clear of reigning champions Inter Milan.

Former Inter coach Antonio Conte has already transformed the Partenopei, who could now win four games in a row for the first time since the start of last year, when they were sprinting towards a long-awaited Italian title.

In addition to their improved league form - no doubt aided both by an expensive summer of recruitment and a lack of European football - Conte's side also progressed to the last 16 of the Coppa Italia by thrashing Serie B side Palermo 5-0 late last month.

However, Napoli must defy a dismal record in Empoli if they are to continue in that vein this weekend: they have taken maximum points only twice in 11 top-flight trips to Stadio Castellani.

Empoli players Giuseppe Pezzella and Jacopo Fazzini on August 31, 2024 © Imago

In fact, after doing the double over their Campanian counterparts last season, Empoli have won five of their last seven Serie A meetings with Napoli, against whom they have also scored more goals (30) than any other club in Calcio's top tier.

The Tuscan side saw a 10-game undefeated streak in all competitions - one that stretched back to their last-gasp survival last season - finally ended before the break, but they still occupy ninth place with 10 points on the board from seven matches.

There was certainly no shame in going down to a 2-1 defeat at Stadio Olimpico, as in-form Lazio struck at the end of both halves, overturning Sebastiano Esposito's early opener.

Now, Roberto D'Aversa's men return to the Castellani, where they have drawn 0-0 in all of their three Serie A fixtures this season - against Monza, Juventus and Fiorentina. That puts them on course to become the first team ever to post goalless draws in each of their first four home games.

Unbeaten in their last seven as hosts, Empoli are undoubtedly a tough nut to crack, and they may expect to derail Napoli's accelerating express train on Sunday.

Empoli Serie A form:

Empoli form (all competitions):

Napoli Serie A form:

Napoli form (all competitions):

Team News

Napoli head coach Antonio Conte on August 18, 2024 © Imago

As Napoli's midfield fulcrum Stanislav Lobotka sustained an injury on Slovakia duty, Antonio Conte could bring Billy Gilmour into an engine room also featuring Frank Anguissa and Scott McTominay. The latter has been directly involved in a goal in each of his last three club appearances.

Left-back Mathias Olivera picked up a knock while representing Uruguay, so Leonardo Spinazzola is on standby to start this weekend, when Elia Caprile will continue to deputise for injured first-choice goalkeeper Alex Meret.

Having focused on improving his fitness during the international break, Romelu Lukaku leads the line up front, joined by Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and either Matteo Politano or David Neres.

Since arriving in Naples, Neres has been involved in a goal every 23 minutes on average, while Lukaku's rate is one every 45; the pair occupy first and second in that metric throughout Europe's top five leagues (among players who have played at least 90 minutes).

Therefore, Empoli goalkeeper Devis Vasquez - on a year-long loan from AC Milan - could be busy again, having posted the highest save percentage (82%) in Serie A so far.

Samuele Perisan and Tyronne Ebuehi join long-term absentee Saba Sazonov on the sidelines once more, but Szymon Zurkowski could return from a calf problem in time to make the bench.

Empoli possible starting lineup:
Vasquez; Goglichidze, Ismajli, Viti; Gyasi, Grassi, Anjorin, Pezzella; Fazzini, Esposito; Colombo

Napoli possible starting lineup:
Caprile; Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Buongiorno, Spinazzola; Anguissa, Gilmour, McTominay; Politano, Lukaku, Kvaratskhelia

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We say: Empoli 0-1 Napoli

Although Napoli look like a well-oiled winning machine under Antonio Conte, they will have to scrap for all three points in Empoli.

The hosts have started the campaign solidly and have the second-best defensive record so far, meaning their visitors may need to rely on one moment of magic from a talented cast of attackers.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

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