Empoli - Bologna predictions and free betting tips [15/03/2024]

On Friday, 15th March, as a part of the 29th round of the Italian Serie A, Empoli will welcome Bologna on their home ground. Last weekend, the visitors ended their prolonged victorious streak, succumbing to Inter Milan (0:1). However, a victory over the hosts will help them consolidate in the Champions League top four.

Predicted Line-ups

Empoli: Caprile; Bereszynski, Walukiewicz, Luperto; Gyasi, Zurkowski, Marin, Maleh, Pezzella; Niang, Cambiaghi.
Bologna: Skorupski; Posch, Beukema, Calafiori, Kristiansen; Freuler, Ferguson, Fabbian; Orsolini, Odgaard, Saelemaekers.

Empoli

Empoli ranks 17th in the Serie A league table and is only one point away from the relegation zone. The appointment of Davide Nicola as coach in January completely revitalised the team, which managed to escape the bottom three thanks to a six-match unbeaten run (3 wins and 3 draws). However, in their last two rounds, the hosts again disappointed their fans: they first lost at home to Cagliari (1:0), a direct competitor for survival, and then capitulated at San Siro against Milan (1:0).

After the match against the solid Bologna, Nicola's players still have to visit Inter, Atalanta, and Lazio, as well as host Napoli and Roma, so they need to fight for every ball with every opponent. Furthermore, the matches against Lecce, Frosinone, and Udinese in the second half of the season look like must-wins, or else the Tuscan side faces relegation. Empoli has performed poorly at home this season, amassing only 10 points in 14 home games, scoring 9 goals and conceding 19. 

Bologna

This season, Bologna has surpassed all fan expectations and sits in 4th place in the Serie A table, three points ahead of fifth-placed Roma. Qualifying for the Champions League would be a significant achievement for the Rossoblu, and such a scenario seems more than likely. Last weekend, Thiago Motta's charges put in a very decent performance but failed to avoid defeat against leaders Inter (0:1) thanks to a goal from Jan Bisseck in the first half.

Moreover, the underdog had more shots on Inter's goal than the Nerazzurri (19:5) and didn't allow Inzaghi's team a single shot on Skorupski in the second half. Bologna's very positive streak of 6 consecutive league wins came to an end. However, it should be noted that the visitors have only won one of their 11 opening Serie A away matches, although they have been successful in the last two. With 25 goals conceded, Bologna ranks third in the league for defensive reliability. 

Head to Head

In the first round, Empoli lost heavily to Bologna by 3:0. But prior to that, Empoli had won three of the previous four head-to-head matches.

Match Prediction: Empoli vs Bologna

Under the stewardship of Thiago Motta, Bologna is thriving, playing pragmatic but effective football. The visitors are in dire need of points in the race for Champions League qualification and have secured five victories in their last six rounds. Empoli is considerably inferior in class and has been unimpressive in recent weeks. I don't see how the hosts can muster even a point this Friday – I'm backing the favourite to win with a handicap of 0.

Total Prediction

In three of the previous four head-to-head duels, at least one team did not score. Bologna is renowned for its reliable defence and will not let Empoli, in crisis, score more than once (Individual Total Under 1).

Corner Prediction

Bologna will dominate the game and attack the opponent's goal from the very beginning – I predict a victory for the visitors in terms of corners.

Yellow Card Prediction

Both teams have slightly more than two yellow cards per game this season, and in the first round, the referee gave out a total of six bookings. I predict the total number of bookings to be over 3.5.

Exact Score Prediction

I will back a 0:1 scoreline in favour of Bologna.