It is top against bottom as leaders Inter Milan travel to Empoli for a Serie A fixture on Sunday. The Nerazzurri are in good form and should have too much quality for the home side who have lost every game so far.
Empoli have endured one of the worst starts in Serie A history as they are bottom of the standings having lost every single match so far. Not only have they been beaten in all four matches, Gli Azzurri have also failed to register a single goal.
Such a poor start means Paolo Zanetti has become the first manager to be sacked in Serie A this season. A familiar face is now at the helm with Aurelio Andreazzoli returning to the club for the fourth time in his career and looking to spark a resurgence.
Andreazzoli will have a tough task on his hands turning things around as Empoli are not only losing but have suffered some truly heavy defeats. They were beaten 7-0 by Roma in their previous Serie A fixture which was the final nail in the coffin for Zanetti.
In direct contrast to Empoli’s poor start to the campaign, Inter Milan have been the team to beat so far this season. They are the only side with a 100% record in Serie A after four matches and have set the pace since the opening weekend.
Inter Milan were in imperious form last time out as they claimed a 5-1 victory over AC Milan in their previous Serie A fixture. It is not just that they beat their bitter rivals, who were also maintaining a 100% record, it was the dominant nature of the victory, which would have sent a warning to the rest of the league.
Inter Milan’s winning run ended in midweek as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Real Sociedad in the Champions League. However, manager Simone Inzaghi will be keen to return to domestic action where they have scored 13 goals in four Serie A matches, conceding only one.
How the bookies view it
Inter Milan have been installed as overwhelming favourites with a win priced at 7/20 by 10bet. An unlikely victory for Empoli is valued at 8/1 by William Hill while a draw is set at odds of 15/2 by Paddy Power.
Head to head
Inter Milan have a 24-3 advantage with two draws from 29 previous matches against Empoli. The Nerazzurri claimed a 3-0 victory at the Stadio Carlo Castellani in the most recent meeting back in March.
Players to watch
Lautaro Martinez and Marcus Thuram have sparked up a solid partnership in attack for Inter Milan and both men will be worth keeping an eye on. Thuram was on target last time out and is priced at 13/8 with William Hill while Martinez’s five Serie A goals means he can be backed at evens with William Hill to maintain his scoring run.
Inter Milan have also been solid at the other end of the pitch and with Empoli struggling for goals lately, will be targeting a shutout. Francesco Acerbi and Alessandro Bastoni have impressed at the back and can lead the Nerazzurri to a clean sheet at 11/10 with BoyleSports.
Anything else catch the eye?
Inter Milan have won to nil in three of their four Serie A matches and could be set for a similar outcome at 11/8 with BoyleSports. Having put five past AC Milan last time out, a -2 handicap could also be considered at 23/10 with Betfred.
The Nerazzurri have won both halves in their last two matches and Sunday’s clash could be set to follow a similar pattern at 2/1 with bet365.
This Serie A match between Empoli and Inter Milan will be played on Sep 24, 2023 and kick off at 11:30. Check below for our tipsters best Empoli vs Inter Milan prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
