Napoli take on the visitors Empoli in the round 32 match of Italian Serie A. The match will be played on Monday, April 14th at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona (Naples).
Napoli surprisingly — and convincingly — claimed the Scudetto in 2023, finishing far ahead of their rivals. That title run, however, was more of a slow crawl toward the finish line during the spring under Luciano Spalletti. The coach stepped down afterward under respectable pretext — and he was proven right. Without Spalletti and after several coaching changes, the defending champions plummeted to 10th place, despite decent performances in the Champions League. Antonio Conte took on the challenge of rebuilding a project that had already lost Zielinski and Osimhen — and at first, it looked promising. Napoli impressed during the first half of the season under Conte’s guidance, showing structure and defensive solidity. But in January, they sold Kvaratskhelia, and his absence was immediately felt. A poor run followed — five games without a win — although the team managed to improve in spring with wins over Fiorentina and Milan, though they also stumbled to a goalless draw against Venezia. Their most recent fixture ended in a frustrating 1-1 against Bologna.
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Empoli made a splash in the cup — but at a high cost. The Azzurri have settled into their usual role in Serie A — perennial underdogs fighting for survival. Last season, they managed to stay up once again, finishing 17th with 36 points — just one above Frosinone. This season, they’ve been able to create headlines with a surprising Coppa Italia run. Empoli eliminated Torino, Fiorentina, and even Juventus to reach the semifinals, which is a major achievement for the modest club. However, both the Fiorentina and Juventus wins came via penalty shootouts after draws, and the first leg of the semifinal ended in a harsh 0-3 home defeat to Bologna. The emotional and physical cost of that run seems to have taken its toll. In Serie A, Empoli haven’t won a single match since early December, drawing a few but largely struggling. The recent 0-0 stalemate with Cagliari leaves them stuck in the relegation zone, with time running out to recover.
Last season, Empoli surprisingly beat Napoli 1-0 in both encounters. But this past autumn, a penalty from Kvaratskhelia gave Conte’s side a measure of revenge. The hosts simply must win if they still dream of a Scudetto. Back Napoli to win with a -1.5 goal handicap.
Prediction for the match: Napoli to win with -1.5 handicap.
