Empoli vs. Bologna, opposite situations
Empoli vs. Bologna will be the final Saturday fixture on matchday 22 in Serie A Enilive. The Tuscans have picked up just one point in their last six outings, resulting in a slide down the table. They now sit just one point above the relegation zone and, with games against Juventus and AC Milan around the corner, need to try and add to their points tally. The Azzurri will have a difficult task against Bologna, who, after draws against Roma and Inter, returned to winning ways against Monza last week and now want another three points in their pursuit of securing a spot in Europe next season.
HEAD TO HEAD
This is the 22nd match between Empoli and Bologna in Serie A, with the Azzurri winning seven times and the Rossoblu winning six times (D8). Bologna are unbeaten in their last three games against Empoli in Serie A (W2 D1) and only in their first seven ever matches between the two teams in the tournament have the Rossoblu avoided defeat for a longer run of matches against them (W3 D4). Among the teams they’ve faced more than five times at home in Serie A, Bologna is the one against which Empoli boasts the lowest loss percentage at home (10%), with five wins and four draws in 10 home matches against the Rossoblu in Serie A – though the only defeat came in the most recent of these matches (0-1 in March).
DID YOU KNOW
Empoli have lost five of their last six matches played in Serie A (D1), as many defeats as they had recorded in the previous 19 matches played in the top-flight (W5 D9). In this period - from MD16 onwards - the Tuscan team is the one that has won the fewest points in Serie A (1). Thanks to the 3-1 win over Monza last time out, Bologna set their record for points after their first 20 matches in a Serie A season from 1994-95 (33), one more than last season at this stage. Considering three points for a win, the last time the Rossoblu won more than 33 points after the first 21 games in a single top-flight season dates back to 1966-67, when the Falsinei finished 3rd. Bologna have scored 32 goals this season; the last time they had more after the first 21 games played in a Serie A season was back in 1965-66 (36).
PLAYERS
Sebastiano Esposito has scored six goals in his seven matches played since the start of last December and, in this period, he is the player who has scored the most in the Italian top division. Indeed, he has scored eight goals so far, while the last player to have scored more in a single top-flight tournament with the Azzurri was Andrea Pinaominti in 2021-22 (13 goals). Only Lamine Yamal (born in 2007, 14 involvements more) is younger than Santiago Castro (born in 2004, 6 goals and 4 assists) among the players involved in 10+ goals in the big five European leagues 2024-25. The Bologna striker could become only the third foreign player to achieve both five goals and five assist in a single Serie A season before turning 21 since the competition returned to 20 teams format in 2004-05, after Dejan Kulusevski (5 goals, 7 assists in 2019-2020) and Alexandre Pato (12 goals, 5 assists in 2008-09).
DISCIPLINE
Suspended: none Cautioned: Grassi (Empoli); Castro (Bologna)
REFEREE
LA PENNA (CARBONE – FONTANI) IV: SCATENA; VAR: DI PAOLO; AVAR: GARIGLIO
UPCOMING MATCHES IN SERIE A
Juventus-Empoli (Sunday 2 February, 12:30 CET) Bologna-Como (Saturday 1 February, 20:45 CET) (Photo Getty Images)