Empoli vs SPAL Predictions

• Including friendlies, Empoli have won their last five matches in a row.
• SPAL finished 15th in Serie B last season, winning just two of their final 10 matches.
• The hosts beat Atalanta and Napoli in their final five games of last season.

All change at Empoli

For half of the 2021-22 Serie A season, Aurelio Andreazzoli’s Empoli looked set to seal a stunning top-half finish while playing a high-octane, attacking brand of football, but a run of just two wins from their final 22 league contests saw Andreazzoli depart, with Paolo Zanetti taking his place ahead of the new campaign.

Zanetti may have shouldered some of the responsibility for Venezia’s relegation last term, but he has enjoyed an encouraging pre-season; Empoli have won five matches on the spin including friendlies, including a final-day triumph over Atalanta in May and an impressive friendly victory over Trabzonspor. Having seen 120 goals scored in their 38 league games last campaign, Empoli will hope to entertain again after recruiting the likes of Mattia Destro and Inter youngster Martin Satriano.

SPAL ended an underwhelming Serie B campaign in 15th last season, with back-to-back wins over the final two matchdays representing their only triumphs over their last 10 outings. Boss Roberto Venturato won just four of 20 league matches at the helm after taking over in January and looks hard-pushed to mastermind a cup upset.

Serie A side to make superiority count

Given Empoli’s undoubted attacking quality and the likelihood of both teams selecting strong lineups ahead of their league campaigns beginning, backing Empoli for victory at a decent price looks a strong play.

Meanwhile, with both teams scoring in seven of SPAL’s last 10 matches and in five of Empoli’s last six, a 2-1 home win could offer value for correct score punters.