Empoli and Salernitana are slowly being sucked into a Serie A relegation battle. Eight points separate both teams from 18th-place Hellas Verona with five matches left to play. A win for either team on Monday night would almost seal its Serie A status for next term.
Salernitana are 14th in the Serie A standings ahead of Monday’s trip to Empoli. The Granata are in decent form despite struggling to win matches. Salernitana are unbeaten in six straight fixtures, as five of those matches end as draws.
Empoli are 15th in the standings. The Azzurri took seven points from their last six fixtures. Empoli surprised Bologna in midweek, winning 3-1. The victory over Bologna ended a three-match losing streak for Empoli in Serie A.
Empoli are unbeaten in five of their last six fixtures against Salernitana in all competitions. The Azzurri won three, drew two, and lost one match during that time. The teams drew their last two head-to-head matches.
In September, when the teams last met, the match ended 2-2, as Empoli came from behind to level the score late in the match.
Empoli’s Martin Satriano opened the scoring in the 31st minute, but eight minutes later, Salernitana were level thanks to Pasquale Mazzocchi.
Salernitana took the lead just after the hour mark courtesy of Boulaye Dia. However, Empoli’s Sam Lammers scored with nine minutes left on the clock to earn the Azzurri a point.
Empoli coach Paolo Zanetti will be without defender Koni de Winter due to a knee injury. De Winter is the only injury issue for Zanetti. Empoli do not score many goals. They have tallied the fourth-fewest goals in the league with 29. Nicolo Cambiaghi leads the team in goals with five.
Salernitana coach Paulo Sousa has four players on the injury list ahead of Monday’s match. Forward Antonio Candreva is out with a calf injury. Defender Federico Fazio is a major doubt following an ankle injury.
Forward Diego Valencia has a muscle injury which will likely keep him out of action. Midfielder Domen Crnigoj could make the squad following a calf injury.
Salernitana are led in goals by Dia with 15. Dia scored 37% of Salernitana’s goals in the team’s 33 fixtures. Defence has been Salernitana’s problem, as they conceded the second-most goals in 33 matches with 54.
The teams drew 2-2 earlier this season in a back-and-forth game. Monday’s match at Empoli should finish as a stalemate once more, as the teams once again play out a 2-2 draw.