Serie A Preview: Inter vs Empoli – Team News, Line-ups & Prediction | OneFootball

Inter Milan’s Serie A title defense continues on Sunday night with a must-win home clash against perennial bottom-half strugglers Empoli. After Napoli’s stunning win at Atalanta last evening, Simone Inzaghi’s men head into proceedings six points adrift of the table’s summit.

Despite lagging behind Antonio Conte’s side, the reigning Scudetto holders have two games in hand. However, given Napoli’s formidable form in Serie A, Inter can’t take anything for granted. Inzaghi’s charges wasted a glorious opportunity to close the gap during midweek.

Indeed, goals from Denzel Dumfries and Lautaro Martinez were in vain as Bologna held them to a 2-2 draw at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza. It was a bitter pill for the 20-time Italian champions, especially as Mehdi Taremi squandered two late chances to win the game for his team.

Therefore, the margin for error narrowed down ahead of Empoli’s visit. Visiting coach Roberto D’Aversa oversaw another underwhelming result last weekend as Empoli slumped to a 3-1 home defeat to fellow bottom-half rivals Lecce, compromising their survival chances.

Four losses from their last five league games (D1) have plunged Gli Azzurri closer to the bottom three, with only two points separating them from 18th-placed Cagliari ahead of the kickoff. A point at Meazza would be massive, yet that’s easier said than done.

Match Preview

Inter

Before Bologna held them winless, Inter had won six league matches on the trot, including five without conceding. As such, they should take the field in high spirits despite the midweek heartache, especially as they’ve not lost any of their last 14 Serie A fixtures (W11, D3).

Remarkably, Inter are the only team in Italy’s top flight yet to trail at halftime this season (HT: W10, D9). Another flying start would likely set the tone for the home side’s 15th win in their last 16 league meetings with Empoli – except for a 1-0 loss on this ground in January 2023.

However, Meazza has been a feeble fortress of late. Inter have only won half of their last eight top-flight outings on home turf (W4, D3, L1), conceding an alarming 12 goals in that sequence. That’s over two-thirds of their overall seasonal tally in Serie A!

Four successive league wins against Empoli ‘to nil’ can inspire confidence as Inzaghi’s lads seek an immediate return to the win column. Anything less than three points would be unacceptable for Inter now that they must play catch-up on Napoli.

Empoli

D’Aversa would likely sign up for a draw before the kickoff. But visiting fans shouldn’t hold their breath, considering the last time Empoli shared the spoils with Inter was in 2015. The head-to-head picture looks bleak afterward. So does the visitors’ dire form.

Empoli have conceded multiple goals in three of their last four league games, capitulating at least twice against Atalanta, Genoa, and Lecce. A 1-1 away draw against newcomers Venezia was the only exception to this disheartening streak, highlighting the depth of the crisis.

The situation could go from bad to worse this weekend unless D’Aversa posts his first-ever managerial win against Inzaghi (D1, L10). Determined to defy his career-worst record against another manager, the veteran coach can find inspiration in Empoli’s impressive away form.

Gli Azzurri have only lost three competitive matches on the road this season (W5, D4), though one defeat came on this ground at the hands of Inter’s bitter adversaries Milan. Ominously, the other two arrived against Nerazzurri’s fellow top-four rivals.

Team News

Inter are still without talismanic midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu, who sustained a muscle injury during the club’s Supercoppa Italiana trip to Saudi Arabia. Francesco Acerbi is also out with a long-term thigh issue. Inzaghi hopes to have Yann Bisseck back but can’t count on Argentine misfit Joaquin Correa.

On the other hand, Empoli will land at Meazza without numerous first-team stars. Tino Anjorin and Ola Solbakken have joined long-term absentees Pietro Pellegri, Nicolas Haas, Saba Sazonov, and Tyronne Ebuehi on the sidelines, leaving D’Aversa stranded for reliable options in all departments.

Inter vs Empoli Potential Starting Line-ups

Inter (3-5-2): Sommer; Pavard, De Vrij, Augusto; Dumfries, Barella, Asllani, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Martinez, Thuram.

Empoli (3-5-1-1): Vasquez; Goglichidze, Ismajli, Viti; Gyasi, Henderson, Grassi, Cacace, Pezzella; Esposito; Colombo.

Inter vs Empoli Prediction

Severely hit by injuries, Empoli shouldn’t stand a chance at Meazza. We expect Inter to post another clear-cut victory and keep their lowly visitors at bay.