After receiving widespread praise for their strong performances against Roma and Milan (despite losing both matches), Como must now return to winning ways to take another step towards their season goal: securing a place in Serie A for next season. The fixture list presents a great opportunity to claim a long-awaited victory, which has been missing for a month—since their 2-1 home win against Napoli on February 23. At the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia, they will face an opponent struggling with a long streak of negative results: Empoli, managed by Roberto D'Aversa. The Tuscan side, who will play a historic Coppa Italia semi-final first leg against Bologna on Wednesday, haven't won a match in over three months (4-1 against Verona on December 8). After a promising start to the season, Empoli has slipped to the third-last position in the table, three points behind Parma, who have found some consistency under new coach Chivu. The reasons for Empoli’s downturn are many, from a lack of squad depth to a long list of injuries. D'Aversa must now send a strong message to their direct rivals for survival by picking up crucial points at Como to shake up their stagnant standings.

Como's Recent Form and Key Statistics

After closing February with two major victories against Fiorentina and Napoli, Como started March poorly, collecting just one point from three matches. Before the international break, Fabregas’ team suffered a dramatic 2-1 loss at San Siro against Milan, despite taking the lead through Da Cunha in the first half before being overturned by Pulisic and Reijnders in the second.

Fabregas, who was sent off in the Milan match and will not be on the bench against Empoli, has seen his team drop points from winning positions three times in a row (against Roma, Venezia, and Milan). Como has conceded more goals after the 90th minute (8) than any other team in Serie A, highlighting their struggles in maintaining concentration and managing results in the closing stages.

Empoli's Recent Form and Key Statistics

Empoli’s 1-0 loss against Torino before the break was a perfect summary of their current struggles. Despite creating several chances against Milinkovic-Savic, they failed to convert, and yet another defensive lapse allowed Vlasic to score the winning goal.

With the second-worst attack in Serie A (23 goals in 29 games), Empoli has picked up just two points in their last 10 league matches. Their away form has been particularly poor, with one draw and four losses in their last five away games, scoring only three goals while conceding 12 (an average of 2.4 per game).

Como vs Empoli Prediction & Tactical Overview

The matchup between Como and Empoli is a clash of two contrasting football philosophies. Fabregas emphasizes possession-based play and controlling the game, influenced by his Barcelona upbringing, whereas D’Aversa prefers a direct, counter-attacking style.

Given these differing approaches, this game could be more open than expected. Como will likely dominate possession, while Empoli will look to exploit the defensive gaps that Como frequently leaves open.

Como will also have to cope with the significant absence of Nico Paz (6 goals, 6 assists in Serie A) due to suspension. However, playing at home will be an advantage, as 19 of their 29 points have come at the Sinigaglia (5 wins, 4 draws, 5 losses). The BetMines prediction algorithm favors Como for the win in this crucial relegation battle. 

• BetMines algorithm prediction for the match Como vs Empoli predicts the 1 sign at 51%
• BetMines algorithm prediction for the match Como vs Empoli predicts the X sign at 25%
• BetMines algorithm prediction for the match Como vs Empoli predicts the 2 sign at 24%

Como vs Empoli Predicted Lineups

Como (4-3-3): Butez; Smolcic, Goldaniga, Kempf, Valle; Caqueret, Perrone, Da Cunha; Diao, Cutrone, Strefezza. Coach: Fabregas

Empoli (3-4-2-1): Silvestri; Marianucci, Ismajli, Goglichidze; Gyasi, Grassi, Henderson, Pezzella; Esposito, Cacace; Colombo. Coach: D’Aversa