Inter Milan welcome Empoli
Inter Milan will welcome Empoli to San Siro on Friday evening knowing that a victory would see them move above bitter rivals AC Milan to the top of the Serie A table.
The home side are currently second in the division, two points behind leaders AC Milan, while Empoli sit down in 14th position, 11 points clear of the relegation zone.
Inter’s title hopes suffered a huge setback at the end of April when they went down 2-1 at Bologna, but the reigning champions managed to bounce back on May 1 by recording a 2-1 win over Udinese.
Simone Inzaghi‘s side are second in Serie A, two points behind leaders AC Milan, meaning that a victory on Friday would see them move to the top of the table, temporarily at least.
Indeed, AC Milan would have the chance to reclaim first position on Sunday when they head to Verona, and it is set to be a fascinating conclusion to the campaign in terms of the title race, with Inter’s final three league matches coming against Empoli, Cagliari and Sampdoria.
There is still a mathematical chance of Empoli being relegated, but it would take an extraordinary turn of events. Empoli have performed impressively on their travels, collecting 21 points from 17 games, which is a strong record, but they will certainly be the underdogs heading into Friday’s contest.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
Genoa host Juventus
Genoa are set to play Juventus at the Stadio Comunale Luigi Ferraris on Friday in Serie A. Genoa come into this game on the back of a 1-0 loss to Marco Giampaolo’s Sampdoria in the league. Juventus, on the other hand, beat Andrea Soncin’s Venezia 2-1.
In 30 head-to-head encounters between the two sides, Juventus hold a clear advantage. They have won 21 games, lost four and drawn five.
Genoa are currently 19th in Serie A, three points behind 17th-placed Cagliari. They have lost four of their last five league games, but still stand a chance of avoiding relegation. However, a positive result against Juventus will not come easily.
Juventus, on the other hand, are fourth in the league, one point behind 3rd-placed Napoli. It has been a disappointing season for Massimiliano Allegri’s men, and it is clear that Juventus need to enjoy a strong summer transfer window if they are to challenge for the title next season.
Genoa are fighting for their lives towards the bottom of the table and are more than capable of picking up a positive result against Juventus. The Old Lady have been in strong form in recent weeks, though, and expect the visitors to shade a close contest on Friday night.
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Levante face Real Sociedad
Levante‘s fight to escape the relegation zone in La Liga will continue on Friday evening when they welcome high-flying Real Sociedad to Estadio Ciudad de Valencia.
The home side are currently bottom of the table, six points from the safety of 17th spot with four games left, while Real Sociedad sit sixth, five points behind fourth-placed Atletico Madrid.
Levante have picked up four points from their last three league matches, but positive results from the teams around them means that they have dropped to the bottom of the table, boasting 26 points from 34 matches.
The Valencia-based outfit are now six points behind 17th-placed Cadiz with four games left, meaning that they will have to enjoy a brilliant end to the campaign to stand a chance of staying in the league, and there is no downplaying the importance of this match to their chances of staying in the league.
Real Sociedad, meanwhile, are chasing down fourth-placed Atletico in the table, currently sitting five points behind the capital giants in the race to secure Champions League football for next term.
More realistically, though, the Basque outfit are going to finish fifth or sixth, which would still represent a strong campaign, boasting a record of 15 wins, 11 draws and eight defeats from their 34 games to collect 56 points.
Real Sociedad’s away form in La Liga this season has been mixed, collecting 24 points from 17 matches, but they will be taking on a Levante side with the second-worst home record in Spain’s top flight this term.
Levante are in desperate need of the points to stay in the league and will have to attack Real Sociedad on Friday night. Under normal circumstances, we would be backing a draw here, but Levante will have to go for it, and we can see the visitors picking up all three points courtesy of a narrow success.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
