A vital clash awaits, with Empoli and Parma playing to retain their Serie A Enilive status
A key match in the relegation battle is in store at the Castellani Computer Gross Arena, where Empoli will face Parma in a 20:45 CEST kick-off.
The Tuscans, who sit second from bottom, haven’t won since December and need to turn things around in their last three matches – their other fixtures will be against Monza and Hellas Verona – to avoid the drop.
Despite losing to Como last time out – a result that put an end to a seven-game unbeaten run – Parma have seven more points than their next opponents and a six-point cushion over third-from-bottom Venezia. Therefore, should they win, Chivu’s men could secure mathematical survival.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
Empoli and Parma have drawn four of their last six meetings in Serie A (one win each) after each of the prior 13 games in the top-flight had a winner.
Empoli have drawn their last three home matches against Parma in Serie A; for the Toscani this is their longest current drawing streak against a single side in the competition on home soil (three also vs Fiorentina).
CURIOSITA`
Empoli are winless since December in Serie A (vs Hellas Verona); the Toscani were the only team without any wins in the period in the competition, whilst they’ve picked up the second -fewest points since then (6) – only Monza have less (five).
Empoli have won just one home match in Serie A this season (D7 L9), with no team winning fewer across the current Big-5 European Leagues (one win also for Monza, Ipswich Town and Southampton).
Parma have drawn six of their last eight League matches (W1 L1), as many draws as they recorded in the previous 22 games played in the competition (W4 L12).
Parma’s last away win came in November against Venezia (D5 L6) drawing each of their last four games away from home. The Gialloblù never recorded five away draws in a row in the competition.
Empoli have scored a higher percentage of their goals in the first half than any other side (59%, 16 goals on 27 overall).
Empoli have recorded 11.286 passes in Serie A this season (an average of 322 per match), fewer than any other team in Serie A; in the current top five European leagues, only Getafe have fewer on average (297).
PLAYERS
Only one of Sebastiano Esposito`s eight goals this Serie A season came in a home match (13%) – amongst the players with more than five goals in this Serie A, only Rafael Leão has a lower percentage of home goals than the Empoli player (no such nets for the Portuguese).
Among defenders who have not been dribbled past, Lautaro Valenti is the player with the most mins played in Serie A this season (1436).
DISCIPLINE
Suspended: Colombo (Empoli)
Cautioned: Valenti, Keita, Haj Mohamed, Balogh, Djuric (Parma)
REFEREE
FABBRI (CARBONE – ROSSI M.) IV: PERRI, VAR: PATERNA, AVAR: DOVERI
UPCOMING MATCHES IN SERIE A
Monza-Empoli
Parma-Napoli
