Salernitana vs Empoli Prediction 09.02.2024

• Competition: Italy - Serie A
• Date: Friday, 9th, February 2024
• Kickoff: 19:45 UK / 20:45 CET
• Venue: Stadio Arechi (Salerno)

The basement battle is set for Friday as the red lantern Salernitana welcomes second-from-bottom Empoli to the Stadio Arechi in Round 24 of the Italian Serie A.

Salernitana vs Empoli Betting Tips: BTTS

In the clash between the two weakest sides in the Italian elite-tier, both are expected to come out guns blazing in their quest for much-needed points, setting the stage for an exhilarating affair where both goalkeepers will be tasked with picking the ball out of the back of the net.

After succumbing to identical 1-2 defeats in each of their first four league matches of the new year, the Campanian club managed to record only their second clean sheet of the term while simultaneously adding their first point in 2024, holding Juric's Bulls to a goalless draw 0-0 last time out.

Departing Turin with a hard-earned point has left them firmly anchored to the foot of the table, six adrift from the safety zone, but their dismal defensive record casts a shadow over any optimism for a turnaround, as they hold the ignominious title of the most porous backline, conceding a troubling 44 goals in 23 weeks of Serie A action.

To make matters worse, even coming back to their home turf doesn't offer solace for Filippo Inzaghi's squad, as the 50-year-old manager has overseen his team conceding precisely two goals in each of the last five home fixtures, resulting in four defeats, despite hitting the back of the net in all of them.

While the bottom-dwellers may see an opportunity in the upcoming Friday night clash to bolster their survival prospects, securing any points will be quite a tall order, considering Empoli's visit to Stadio Arechi, a side that has looked rejuvenated ever since the club's helm was taken over by a man who possesses the secret recipe for avoiding relegation.

Former Salernitana coach Davide Nicola, since taking the reins of the Tuscan club, has completely awakened his boys, a fact affirmed by their results, as the Azzurri have yet to taste defeat in all three fixtures since the arrival of the relegation-saving expert, trashing Monza 3-0 in his debut before securing draws against title-chasing Juventus and Genoa last week.

Since their unsettling of Italian champions Napoli on November 12th away from home, Empoli has failed to win in any of their subsequent five league outings, picking up a paltry two points from a possible 15, but Friday's trip to Salerno offers a chance to rectify road record, boasting an impressive streak of avoiding defeat in their last five face-offs against Granata (W3, D2).

With the outcome between Serie A's current bottom-dwellers difficult to foresee, we'll lean towards both Salernitana and Empoli managing to find the back of the net, particularly as their recent matchups at the Stadio Arechi have been characterized by a flurry of goals, seeing two or more goals in each team's net in three out of the last four face-offs.