Empoli-Napoli: Balanced Challenge at Maradona, Balance in Balance

Thirty-third intersection in all competitions between Empoli e Napoli the one tomorrow night at Maradona, with a balance all in all in parity. The Neapolitans are in fact in the lead, but by only two victories (14 to 12) against 6 draws. A proportion that remains identical even if we only consider the challenges of Serie A, where Napoli has won 10 against the 8 Azzurre, in addition to 5 draws. Since the 2007-'08 season, when the two teams faced each other only in the top league, the balance has been perfectly equal: 7 victories each and 3 'nothings done'.

The situation is different for the matches played under Vesuvius, where the Neapolitans are clearly ahead with 11 victories to 3. Of these latter, however, the Azzurri have achieved two in the last three trips to Campania: both 1-0 on 12 November 2023 (a wonderful goal by Kovalenko at the end) and on 12 December 2021 (a header by Cutrone was decisive).

In the challenges in Naples, a draw has been missing for almost eleven years, the last one was the incredible 2-2 in December 2014 when Zapata and De Guzman overcame the double advantage of Empoli signed by Verdi and Rugani (Maurizio Sarri was on the bench). On the other hand, the last three occasions in which the night games were played in Naples were bitter for the blue club, where only one goalless draw was achieved in February 2002 with Silvio Baldini at the helm.