Empoli vs SPAL
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Today’s free tip is in the meeting in Italy’s Serie B between Empoli and SPAL. It features two teams that hope to be back in Serie A next season; Empoli, after a year out of it, and SPAL, having only just been relegated. Both teams have squads that are capable of mounting a challenge too. It’s a very competitive Serie B this season though, so nothing is certain. When a team like Reggina can get promoted and attract the forwards they have, or when Berlusconi’s Monza can just go out and pick up Kevin Prince Boateng, very little is certain in terms of the promotion push.
It’s fair to say that Empoli are a very settled team that are playing well at the moment. Boss Dionisi only took over in August but his style suits a tenacious Empoli side rather well. I do think that this is one of the weaker Empoli teams that I’ve seen in recent years, but having said that, the cohesion they’re showing is one of the best they’ve had so it’s swings and roundabouts really. They may have less to coax out of these players, but they’re getting more from them than they have from more talented players of the past.
Empoli have still got Mancuso up front, which is a plus. I don’t think a Serie A club would come in for him, but he’s more than capable of doing a good job in Serie B, and there are plenty of clubs that could afford him, so keeping the forward is a bonus for Empoli. With target man Moreo amongst the goals, and La Mantia a capable deputy, Empoli are not short of attacking options. It was sad to see them lose promising midfielder Frattesi to moneybags Monza but at least they’ve still got Ricci. New Swiss battler Haas has settled in well, and his fellow countryman Bajrami is still the dog’s bollocks when it comes to creating chances for Empoli. It’s a very healthy attacking setup that Dionisi has at his disposal. Their defence does little for me though, I’m afraid. If Pescara and part-timers Renate can score against Empoli, then so can SPAL.
SPAL enter this game with a mostly settled squad too, which is very unusual for a team recently relegated from Serie A. They’ve not lost anywhere as many players as most do after relegation, and I daresay the money they got from the Petanga and Kurtic sales played a big part in that, plus the money they recently got for Fares. They’ve not done too much by way of signing players but again, I don’t really think they need to. They’ve lost some good Serie A players, just in case, but I like what they already have, which is essentially a Serie A core – Berisha, Tomovic, Salamon, Castro, d’Alessandro, Paloschi, Valoti, Missiroli, Murgia, Floccari, Di Francesco.
All of the afore-mentioned players are at SPAL for a reason, of course. D’Alessandro is injury-prone, for example. Floccari is getting on a bit. Di Francesco has struggled for consistency, as has Paloschi. There’s a reason that each of these Serie A level players are not currently in Serie A, basically, and it’s down to SPAL to get the most out of them. I like that, though – it means the players (as individuals) and the club want the same thing, if only for different reasons. Subsequently, boss Marino has one of the best starting elevens in Serie B to work with, so it’s hard for me to doubt SPAL.
There have been some teething issues since Marino took over but that’s only to be expected. I still like what I see from this team, at least in an attacking sense. SPAL have a lot to offer this season, and I would be surprised if they failed to do so. There’s too much quality and experience for this team to fail, surely? Famous last words, and all that jazz, but seriously – this is one of the best teams I’ve seen playing at Serie B level. There really cannot be an acceptable excuse for SPAL not pushing for a promotion place this season. All they’re lacking right now is familiarity with Marino’s tactics, but if that eventually happens, SPAL are going to be one hell of a force to be reckoned with.
I can understand why bettors are backing the away win with draw no bet here; it’s priced far too long. However, there’s still work to do in the SPAL camp, defender Dickmann is suspended tonight, and Empoli are playing well, so I’ll sit that particular one out. Instead, I’m going to back both teams to score at 4/5.
Verdict: Both teams to score at 4/5.
Tuesday’s Thoughts
As ever, if there are any explanations required then please feel free to post a comment! For the remainder of my thoughts on today’s games, see below, although I feel compelled to write that the below are not necessarily my tips but merely my thoughts. For confidence ratings, you’ll need to go to the members section here.
UEFA Champions League:
Zenit St. Petersburg vs Club Brugge
Dinamo Kiev vs Juventus
Chelsea vs Sevilla CF
Stade Rennais vs FK Krasnodar
SS Lazio vs Bv09 Borussia Dortmund
Barcelona CF vs Ferencvaros
Paris Saint-Germain vs Manchester United
RB Leipzig vs Istanbul BB
Copa Libertadores:
Santos vs Defensa y Justicia
Olimpia Asuncion vs Delfin
Colo Colo vs Jorge Wilstermann
Penarol Montevideo vs Athletico Paranaense
Sao Paulo vs Deportivo Binacional
River Plate vs Liga de Quito
Finnish Ykkonen:
MP vs KTP
SJK-Akatemia vs Jaro Pietarsaari
MuSa vs VPS
Italian Serie B:
Ascoli vs Reggiana
Chievo Verona vs Brescia
Cittadella vs Pordenone
Empoli vs SPAL
Frosinone vs Virtus Entella
Vicenza vs Salernitana
Pisa vs Monza
Reggina vs Cosenza
Venezia vs Pescara
Lithuanian A Lyga:
Banga vs Zalgiris Vilnius
Riteriai vs Panevezys
Suduva Marijampole vs Kauno Zalgiris
Swiss Challenge League:
Stade Lausanne-Ouchy vs Chiasso
FC Thun vs Winterthur
Neuchatel Xamax vs FC Wil
SC Kriens vs Grasshopper Zurich
Enjoy your free betting tips!