Jan Novak
Dailysports's expert
In the 1/8 final of the Coppa Italia, Fiorentina will face Empoli. The match will take place in Florence on Wednesday, December 4, with a 21:00 Central European Time kickoff. Here's my prediction for the total goals of the game.
Match Preview
Fiorentina has been one of the biggest surprises of the Serie A season and truly deserves praise for their performances. They are among the league leaders, and their position is well-deserved.
The previous match against Inter almost turned into a tragedy when Fiorentina's midfielder, Edoardo Bove, lost consciousness on the field, forcing the game to be halted in the 17th minute. Thankfully, Bove is fine, but this incident certainly left a mark on the players.
Empoli has been quite solid this season, especially when compared to their struggles at the start of last year's campaign. In the end, they managed to retain their place in Serie A.
While Empoli hasn't been particularly impressive, they appear to be a tough team to beat. They have lost only four games to top teams (Inter, Milan, Napoli, Lazio), and they deserve credit for their performances.
Match Facts
- Fiorentina has won six consecutive home matches.
- Empoli hasn’t won an away match since the end of September.
- Fiorentina averages 3 goals per game at home, while Empoli averages 1 goal per game away.
Probable Lineups
- Fiorentina: Terracciano, Parisi, Pongracic, Kayode, Moreno, Mandragora, Beltran, Rubino, Biraghi, Kouamé, Ikoné.
- Empoli: Vasquez, Goglidze, Ismaili, Viti, Gyasi, Henderson, Angorin, Pezzella, Colombo, Maleh, Pellegri.
Head-to-Head
Four out of the last five meetings between these two teams ended in a draw.
Prediction
Fiorentina is the clear favorite, and that seems justified. Empoli will try to compete, but Fiorentina should make it through to the next round. I’m betting on over 2.5 goals in this match.
