Opta Focus – Stats and facts ahead of Empoli v Napoli
Following the international break Serie A is back in action with Matchday 8, and Napoli are featuring this Sunday lunchtime away at Empoli. Antonio Conte’s men will be playing against one of the most surprising teams so far this season and a side who have historically caused the Neapolitans difficulties. The head-to-head stats are slightly in Napoli’s favour, with nine wins in the 22 previous matches in the Italian top flight, and the remaining fixtures have seen five draws and eight defeats. However, the Tuscans have won five of their last seven matches against Napoli, doing the double over them in 2023/24, with both games ending 1-0. The data on goals in matches played between the two teams at the Castellani in Serie A suggests that Sunday’s game could be a real goal feast - in the last seven matches in Tuscany between Empoli and Napoli 26 goals have been scored, an average of 3.7 per match. However, when focusing only on the previous Serie A matches that took place at 12:30 between the two teams the stats are level-pegging – one win each, and a draw. Namely, the first showdown of the season just gone was at 12:30, with the Tuscans winning 1-0 at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.
Rock-solid defence, flair in attack
Empoli, coached by Roberto D’Aversa, have picked up 10 points in their first seven games of this campaign - this is the best start for the Tuscans since the 2005/06 season, when they also recorded ten points at this stage of proceedings. They have conceded four goals so far - across the top five European leagues only Juventus (1), Liverpool and Leipzig (2) have conceded fewer. Additionally, they have already kept four clean sheets in these first seven Serie A games, as many as they recorded in the first 12 league games last season. The Tuscans know how to defend well and have shown themselves to be a tight unit. This is backed by the fact that they sit at top spot in the rankings for tackles made (131, two more than Como) and defensive clearances (216, 49 more than Torino and Parma). However, D’Aversa’s team are much more than a defensive side. Only Milan (61), Juventus (59) and Lazio (57) boast more successful dribbles than Empoli (56), which suggest that Empoli offer flair and unpredictability when going forward.
Vasquez the wall, a fearful front two
In order for a team to record such impressive defensive statistics it needs to have solid foundations at the back. Devis Vasquez is the goalkeeper with the best percentage of saves both overall (82%) and for shots faced from inside the penalty area (79%) during this Serie A season, among the players who have made at least four appearances. Playing just in front of him in a solid and convincing manner is Ardian Ismajli. Only Pablo Mari (17), Armando Izzo (14) and Diego Coppola (13) have made more interceptions than the Albanian defender (12) so far in 2024/25. What’s more, Empoli's number 34 has won 29 aerial duels - out of players in the same position in Serie A so far this campaign only Amir Rrahmani (30) – playing for Sunday’s opponents – has won more. Empoli's attack revolves around Lorenzo Colombo: the former Monza and Milan player scored his first-ever Serie A goal against Napoli, on 31 August 2022 at the Maradona, while playing for Lecce. Supporting Colombo in attack will be Sebastiano Esposito – he’s the youngest Italian footballer to have scored at least two goals so far this season. The promising striker from Castellammare di Stabia is yet to break his scoring duck at home this campaign, and Antonio Conte’s men will need to be wary of the attacker on Sunday.
