After staying in Serie A by the skin of their teeth last season, Empoli kick off a new campaign in the Coppa Italia, as they welcome Catanzaro to Tuscany on Saturday.
The Azzurri were knocked out in the first round by Serie B opponents this time last year and will now aim to avoid another upset in Roberto D'Aversa's first competitive fixture.
Match preview
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With only a win guaranteed to preserve their Serie A status, Empoli hosted Roma in last term's Serie A season finale, and thanks to a dramatic stoppage-time strike they duly delivered the goods at Stadio Carlo Castellani.
The Tuscan club were saved by M'Baye Niang's last-gasp intervention, having let safety slip one week earlier when Niang had put them in front after 90 minutes of a high-stakes game against Udinese before a late equaliser left both teams' fate in the balance.
After overseeing another great escape, Davide Nicola departed for Cagliari and Roberto D'Aversa was appointed, just months after the latter was sacked by Lecce following a post-match headbutt on Hellas Verona striker Thomas Henry.
Aiming to rebuild his reputation - having also failed to produce the goods with either Parma or Sampdoria in previous Serie A posts - D'Aversa has started with two wins, one draw and a defeat in pre-season.
Ahead of next week's top-flight opener away to Roma, his Empoli side are back in competitive action against Catanzaro, 12 months after exiting the Coppa Italia to another Serie B side, Cittadella.
Like Saturday's hosts, Catanzaro have never before lifted the Coppa, and they have no designs on doing so this season, with promotion to Italy's top flight their main target.
The Calabrian club missed out in last term's playoffs, being beaten 6-3 on aggregate in the semi-finals by Cremonese after finishing fifth at the end of a 38-game Serie B campaign.
Vincenzo Vivarini had only led the Giallorossi out of Calcio's third tier 12 months beforehand, and they were not necessarily expected to contend for a place in the promised land.
Now, new boss Fabio Caserta - who was sacked by Cosenza in March - takes Catanzaro to Tuscany, aiming to improve on last year's first-round cup exit at the hands of Udinese and perhaps even cause an upset.
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Team News
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Though centre-back Sebastiano Luperto followed Davide Nicola to Cagliari and final-day hero M'Baye Niang has also left the club, Mattia Viti returned to Empoli on loan this summer, after spells at Nice and Sassuolo.
AC Milan striker Lorenzo Colombo is also available to Roberto D'Aversa, having agreed a year-long stay at Stadio Castellani, but veteran forward Francesco Caputo may be preferred instead.
Szymon Zurkowski, Tyronne Ebuehi and Samuele Perisan will all be missing due to injury, and as Elia Caprile has gone back to parent club Napoli, Devis Vasquez is set to start in goal.
Meanwhile, Mirko Pigliacelli recently joined Catanzaro from Palermo and should provide the visitors' last line of defence.
Saturday's lineup could be similar to that which started a recent friendly against Cagliari, with former Frosinone striker Pietro Iemmello leading the line up front - in addition to scoring 15 league goals last season, Iemmello netted twice in the playoffs.
Empoli possible starting lineup:
Vasquez; Ismajli, Walukiewicz, Viti; Gyasi, Henderson, Haas, Pezzella; Fazzini, Esposito; Caputo
Catanzaro possible starting lineup:
Pigliacelli; Piras, Brighenti, Scognamillo, Bonini; Compagnon, Petriccione, Pompetti, Pagano; Biasci, Iemmello
We say: Empoli 2-1 Catanzaro
There may not be much to choose between these two sides over 90 minutes, but home advantage should help Empoli overcome any rustiness in their first competitive contest of 2024-25.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
