Empoli and Cagliari will open the weekend’s Serie A action when the Sardinians travel to the Stadio Carlo Castellani on Saturday.
The sides last met in Tuscany back in April 2007 when a Nicola Pozzi quadruple helped the hosts to thrash Cagliari 4-1.
Maurizo Sarri’s charges though have had more of a penchant for draws in what has been steady, if unspectacular, return to the Italian top flight. After opening with back to back defeats on their return to Serie A, four stalemates in their last five matches leaves them three points above the drop zone.
The Azzurri have shown plenty battling qualities as only against AC Milan and Palermo have they not conceded first, but have also stuck to the attractive play that saw them finish second in Serie B last season. Experienced campaigner Massimo Maccarone helping emerging talents of Manuel Pucciarelli and Simone Verde to flourish.
Cagliari have yet to find any level of consistency under the guidance of Zdenek Zeman. The highlight of their season did come on their travels, the surprise demolition job the Rossoblu performed on Inter. However that was undermined by a late defeat away to Verona and Cagliari have won just twice in their previous 29 league trips away from the Stadio Sant’Elia.
Their recovery from 2-0 down at home to Sampdoria last time out though does mean they can bring some fresh confidence. Marco Sau grabbed the equaliser and Cagliari will hope the 26-year-old can add to his three strikes this season – Zeman’s men have yet to lose when the striker has found the net.
A convincing 3-0 win over Palermo before the international break, Empoli returned to action away to Genoa and snatched a deserved, if somewhat controversial, draw from the ‘hand’ of free scoring defender Lorenzo Tonelli. The 24-year-old now has three in four matches.
Despite the valuable point and recent unbeaten run, Empoli lie just two points above Cagliari in the table and a further one from the drop zone, which marks this meeting as a vital one for both teams to try and put some early daylight between them.
The hosts will hope to have goalkeeper Luigi Seppi back between the sticks after last season’s number one Davide Bassi stood in for the injured Napoli loanee last week. Sarri will also hope the return of French defender Vincent Laurini can help Empoli add to the one clean sheet they have earned all season.
Cagliari look set to recall defenders Luca Rossettini and Antonio Balzano after the otherwise ever present duo missed out against Sampdoria, but otherwise Zeman is putting trust in consistency of selection in the hope that will translate into the same in their results
Expected Starting XIs
Empoli: Sepe; Laurini, Tonelli, Rugani, Mario Rui; Vecino, Valdifiori, Croce; Verdi; Tavano, Maccarone
Cagliari: Cragno; Balzano, Rossettini, Capuano, Avelar; Dessena, Crisetig, Ekdal; Ibarbo, Sau, Cossu
