Empoli is experiencing a difficult start to the championship and risks getting involved in the battle for survival already in the first round. A series of failures at the beginning led to the dismissal of Paolo Zanetti, but his successor, Aurelio Andreazzoli, couldn’t immediately stabilize the situation. However, under his guidance, the team secured their first victory of the season, and currently, their only one, by defeating “Salernitana” 1-0 at home in the sixth round. In the last match, Empoli suffered a 0-3 defeat to “Bologna” away, marking their sixth loss in the championship. It’s worth noting that, in terms of the game, the “Azzurri” looked quite decent, and the 0-3 scoreline was not deserved. Currently, the Tuscans are second to last in the table, with salvation just one point away in 17th place.
Udinese, like their opponent today, is facing serious problems at the start of the championship. It’s unlikely that the “Zebras” seriously considered competing for European competitions; they significantly lag behind their competitors in terms of player selection. However, finishing in the middle of the table was definitely considered a minimum goal. However, in seven rounds at the start, Andrea Sottil’s team has only managed to gather four points. With those points, Udinese currently occupies 17th place in the table, just one point ahead of “Salernitana,” which is in the relegation zone. The situation could have been even worse; in the last round, the “Zebras” were twice trailing against “Genoa,” but they managed to salvage a 2-2 draw at home in added time. Their winless streak in the championship has now reached 11 matches.
