Serie A

Empoli vs. Torino to get matchday 16 underway

Empoli, who sit three points above Torino, want to put further distance between themselves and their next opponents

Matchday 16 in Serie A will kick off at 20:45 CET this evening when Empoli take on Torino. After hitting four past Verona last week, the Tuscans want to come away with another three points to perhaps start dreaming about being in the fight for Europe. Meanwhile, the Granata are aiming to draw level with their opponents in the table. To do this, they need a win that has been missing since they beat Como on 25 October.

HEAD TO HEAD

Torino have won just five of their 24 matches against Empoli in Serie A (D11 L8): among opponents that they have faced more than twice in the competition, only against Parma (20.6%) have the Granata recorded a lower winning percentage than against the Tuscans (20.8%). Empoli won their last Serie A meeting with Torino (3-2 at Castellani in April 2024), though they last won consecutive top=flight matches against the Granata between May 2015 and May 2016 (a run of three). Empoli have avoided defeat in 11 of their 12 home matches against Torino in Serie A (W4 D7): the Granata's sole success on Empoli home soil came inMay 2022 (3-1 courtesy of Belotti's hat-trick, with Zurkowski scoring for the Tuscans).

DID YOU KNOW?

Empoli have only lost four matches in Serie A this term (W4 D7): in their history in Serie A, the Tuscans have suffered so few defeats in their first 15 matches played in only one previous season (four also in 2006-07, when they ended the season in 7th place). Over the last six matchdays, Torino have only won two points (D2 L4) and scored one goal: the fewest of any side in this period in Serie A. Empoli are the team that has scored the highest percentage iof their goals in the first half of Serie A this term: 79%, 11 out of 14, including the four in the last matchday against Hellas Verona. Torino meanwhile, have equally distributed their goals conceded, 10 in per half.

PLAYERS

Empoli are the only team with more than one player born from 2001 onwards with 3+ goals scored in this championship: there are three such playersamong the Tuscans (Sebastiano Esposito and Lorenzo Colombo born in 2002, and Pietro Pellegri born in 2001- currently injured). Before Zapata's injury (which occurred in Inter-Torino in October), Ché Adams had scored three goals and provided one assist in seven Serie A appearances. After that match, he has not been involved in a single goal across his seven league matches played.

DISCIPLINE

Suspended: Henderson (Empoli) Cautioned: Cacace (Empoli), Coco, Walukiewicz (Torino)

REFEREE

BONACINA (PRETI – CECCON)IV: LA PENNA, VAR: PEZZUTO, AVAR: MERAVIGLIA

UPCOMING MATCHES IN SERIE A

Atalanta-Empoli (Sunday 22 December, 18.00 CET) Torino-Bologna (Saturday 21 December, 15:00 CET) (Photo Getty Images)