20 October 2022
Empoli arrive at the Allianz Stadium for Friday night's match against Juventus for Matchday 11 of the Serie A season (20:45 CEST). The Tuscans are currently 10th in the standings have two wins, five draws and three defeats to their name, having scored nine goals and conceded 11. In the last round they beat Monza 1-0 at home with the decisive goal coming from Nicolas Haas after 11 minutes.
THE MANAGER: PAOLO ZANETTI
Former midfielder, Paolo Zanetti is currently proving himself as a young, capable manager, with him not turning 40 until December, in what is his first season on the Empoli bench. He began his coaching career in the Reggiana youth sector, then moving to Sudtirol in 2017 as their head coach, staying there for two seasons in Serie C. After six months in Serie B at Ascoli, he moved to Venezia in 2020, which immediately leads to promotion to Serie A. In the Italian top flight he coached the outfit up until Matchday 33, before being replaced. Empoli is a return to familiar territory for him, as he played for the club from 2003 to 2006.
GOAL SPREAD
After the first 10 matches, Empoli have eight different goalscorers. At the top of the table is Filippo Bandinelli, who scored two goals against Roma and Bologna. Followed by Sam Lammers, Nedim Bajrami, Fabiano Parisi, Marin Satriano, Nicolas Haas, Mattia Destro and Tommaso Baldanzi all on one goal a-piece.
NUMBERS & CURIOSITIES
Empoli have remained unbeaten in four of five away games this season. In their history in Serie A only in 2006/07, with Luigi Cagni on the bench had they done better, having not lost in five of their first six away matches of the season. Furthermore, they've conceded 11 goals so far (eighth place amongst the best defences), and after the first 10 matches of a Serie A championship this is also their second-best performance to date with them only doing better once again in 2006/07, with nine goals conceded at this point of the campaign. Among the other particular numbers of this start to the season, Empoli is one of only three teams to have not yet conceded a header (together with Udinese and Sampdoria) and is the team that has recorded the highest number of clearances this season (225).
