Atalanta v Empoli – Preview: Azzurri looking for a comeback against the Dea

Date: 6th February 2016 at 3:28pm
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Empoli to the Stadio Atleti Azzurri d’Italia on Sunday for a Serie A clash between two teams in quite different situations.

The home players might find themselves demoralised after becoming the first side to lose to Hellas Verona this season, which prolonged Edoardo Reja’s side’s long winless streak that has seen the Orobici lose five games and draw four since December.

The Azzurri, on the other side, might come back to victory after a four-game long winless streak. Marco Giampaolo’s team can nevertheless be satisfied by their Serie A campaign so far, as the last draw against Udinese allowed the club to step up to occupy the eighth position in the league table.

Atalanta won the last clash between the two sides, in September, thanks to an early goal by defender Rafael Toloi. The 2014-15 season’s matches were both draws, one ended up goalless and the other finished 2-2 with goals from Alejandro Gomez, German Denis, Riccardo Saponara and Massimo Maccarone.

atalanta v empoli

Reja is facing a defensive enigma while full-back Giampaolo Bellini is trying to recover from an injury and might be among the starters. Gabriel Paletta, on his part, will almost certainly miss the match due to a muscular injury, as will Boukary Drame, who is banned.

The only other player missing from Atalanta’s line-up will be Carlos Carmona, while the attacking trio including Gomez, Mauricio Pinilla and Alessandro Diamanti will try and get the goals needed to win.

Giampaolo can count on a fully available squad, as defender Andrea Costa and forward Marko Livaja are both ready to make a comeback.

The Empoli coach will hope that the team’s star, Riccardo Saponara, can start scoring again after a goal draught lasting since a mid-December goal against Carpi.

Form Guide: Atalanta (L-D-D-D-L) Empoli (W-D-D-L-D)

Expected Starting XIs:

Atalanta: Sportiello; Raimondi, Toloi, Cherubin, Brivio, Freuler; De Roon, Kurtic; Diamanti, Gomez; Pinilla

Empoli: Skorupski; Laurini, Tonelli, Camporese, Mario Rui; Zielinski, Paredes, Buchel, Saponara; Pucciarelli, Maccarone

Infographic source: Sporticos.com

 

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