Empoli Vs AC Milan
Empoli Vs AC Milan Wednesday, 22 December 2021 – 19:45 (GMT)
Italian Serie A
Pick: Both Teams to Score
Odds: 3/5
Bookmaker: Betway
(All betting odds correct at time of writing: 20 December 2021)
Preview: Stadio Carlo Castellani will host the final competitive fixture of 2021 for Empoli and AC Milan, as the latter look to build on a strong first-half showing to the season against a visiting side which has recently lost its way in the race for Scudetto glory.
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Table of Contents
Empoli – Glee in Tuscany awaits for Gli azzurri?
Returning to the top tier following a two-year spell in Serie B, Gli Azzurri have made an outstanding start to life back in this sphere. We are one game short of the midway stage of the 2021-22 league season and, at the time of writing, the only teams with a better points return than Aurelio Andreazzoli’s men are those that comprised the top-seven last time around, plus Fiorentina.
Avoid defeat at home to this faltering AC Milan and Empoli will wrap up 2021 in the top half of Serie A. That would be some achievement, and would lay the foundations for the club hopes is another term at this level. They will approach this fixture in fine fettle as well; Sunday’s draw in Spezia prolonging their unbeaten run (W3 D2) having lost just once – narrowly away to Hellas Verona – in eight league matches.
Key Stat: With a record of W3 D1 L5, Empoli actually possess a worse record at their Stadio Carlo Castellani than they do away from home. Furthermore, it is three defeats from three so far this season against last season’s top seven sides (Atalanta, Lazio, Inter Milan), losing each of these match ups by at least two clear goals.
AC Milan – Rossoneri to reignite stuttering Scudetto charge?
After leading for so long, and barely being out of the top two all season, the Rossoneri are suddenly finding it difficult to even keep pace with new frontrunners Inter. Sunday’s 1-0 reverse to Napoli – the team they had spent so long vying for top spot with – at San Siro made it two wins from their last seven league games (D2 L3) having also suffered the ignominy of crashing out of Europe earlier in the month.
Milan do, however, boast a perfect record versus this season’s promoted outfits, edging out Spezia in September prior to a first-half blitz seeing off bottom side Salernitana a matter of weeks ago. That being said, it is one win across four previous visits to this ground (D3). And were it not for a late strike from Zlatan Ibrahimovic in Udine recently, Milan would have lost for the second time in three away outings (W1).
Key Stat: Milan have failed to win each of the last five league games in which they conceded on at least one occasion. Worryingly then, it is just two clean sheets recorded across their nine Serie A away matches in 2021-22 (W6 D2 L1) – though four of their five away victories so far were not accompanied by a defensive shutout.
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Empoli Vs AC Milan Betting Advice
This encounter almost feels like a free hit for the home side. Empoli are enjoying the relative comfort of sitting in the top half of the table coming into Wednesday’s contest, although a win could see them climb above Lazio into eighth. Three points are of the utmost importance to the visitors, though. A run of two wins in seven in the league has resulted in AC Milan falling four points off title pace, now set by rivals Inter Milan.
Empoli Vs AC Milan – Key Facts:
- Whereas Empoli will aim to end the year unbeaten in six Serie A games (W3 D2), AC Milan are out to better a dismal run of two wins in their last seven (D2 L3).
- Victory is by no means guaranteed for the visitors. Since 2014, Milan have visited Empoli four times in Serie A and emerged with maximum points only once (D3).
- All four recent head-to-head encounters in Empoli, though, saw both teams score. Zlatan Ibrahimovic, meanwhile, is bidding to score for a sixth consecutive Serie A away game.
As highlighted above, Empoli are a more productive side away from home. Yet they’ve now scored two or more in three successive home matches, including against high-flying Fiorentina. Meanwhile, Milan are 100% when it comes to scoring on the road this season, but are finding clean sheets harder to come by, conceding in five of their last seven Serie A contests and in each of the last nine away from the San Siro.
Best Betting Odds – Empoli Vs AC Milan
Empoli – 17/5 (WilliamHill)
Draw – 3/1 (Betfair)
AC Milan – 8/11 (PaddyPower)
