Empoli vs AC Milan Prediction and Preview – 23/01/16
Serie A preview – Empoli vs AC Milan prediction.
Empoli were hit with a flu epidemic ahead of last week’s game at Chievo and there remains the possibility that Riccardo Saponara, Marco Livaja and Andreas Costa will not be 100% for the visit of Milan this Saturday. Top scorer Massimo Maccarone has netted five times in the last five games and is expected to continue his partnership with Manuel Pucciarelli.
Mario Balotelli is pushing for place in the AC Milan starting eleven after recovering for a groin injury that has kept him out for seven weeks. Kevin-Prince Boateng is another forward option for Sinisa Mihajlovic, the Ghanaian international came off the bench to score the second in the 2-0 victory over Fiorentina on Sunday. Gianluigi Donnarumma continues in goal in the absence of Diego Lopez while Jeremy Menez and Rodrigo Ely continue on the long road to recovery.
Possible Line-ups
Empoli: 4-3-1-2 formation: Skorupski; Zambelli, Tonelli, Barba, Rui; Zielinski, Parades, Buchel; Saponara; Pucciarelli, Maccarone
AC Milan: 4-4-2 formation: Donnarumma; Abate, Alex, Romagnoli, Antonelli; Honda, Montolivo, Bertolacci, Bonaventura; Niang, Bacca
Statistics
- Empoli have won 6 drawn 2 and lost 2 of their last 10 matches
- AC Milan have won 5 drawn 4 and lost 1 of their last 10 matches
- Over the course of their previous 10 matches, Empoli have scored an average of 1.4 goals and conceded an average of 0.9 goals per game
- Over the course of their previous 10 matches, AC Milan have scored an average of 1.7 goals and conceded an average of 0.8 goals per game
- There have been over 2.5 goals scored in 4 of Empoli’s previous 10 matches
- There have been over 2.5 goals scored in 3 of AC Milan’s previous 10 matches
Prediction
Empoli have only lost one of the last eight games in Serie A but have been vulnerable at home this season, losing four of their nine league games at Carlo Castellani. Marco Giampaolo’s men have entertained the top three sides in the division, earning a point against Napoli and losing out to Juventus and Inter. The highest placed team to have lost at Empoli this season is Sassuolo in seventh, who lost 1-0 to an 88th minute goal by Massimo Maccarone.
Milan go into this match on the back of two tough games at Roma and at home to title-chasing Fiorentina, picking up a point with a 1-1 draw in Rome and defeating Fiorentina 2-0. Milan’s biggest problems seem to come against lesser sides with Genoa, Torino, Atalanta, Carpi, Verona and Bologna all taking points from their fixtures.
The teams are separated by one point in the table and this could go the same way as two of their last three head-to-heads which ended in a draw.
Tips
Draw at 12/5 with Betfred
Under 2.5 goals at 13/17 with Marathonbet
Correct score 1-1 at 6/1 with BetVictor
What are your predictions?
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