Ahead of Sunday’s clash, Udinese and Empoli have previously faced each other 32 times in Serie A, with 12 wins for Udinese, 12 draws and seven defeats, with none of those coming in the last six meetings. The reverse fixture at the Stadio Castellani ended 1-1, as did the most recent encounter at Bluenergy Stadium, in which the latest goal in Serie A history (104th minute) was scored by Lazar Samardzic. Empoli have taken all three points from Udine just twice in 15 top-flight visits, during which Udinese have netted 26 goals – failing to score on only two occasions – while conceding 13.
Jurgen Ekkelenkamp’s goal against Napoli took Udinese’s tally of different goalscorers this Serie A campaign to 14 – a total only bettered by Inter – and increased their number of goals from outside the box to six, the second-highest tally after Atalanta. Meanwhile, Udinese lead the league in terms of headed goals, with 28% of their total coming via this route.
If Lorenzo Lucca finds the net, he will hit double figures in Serie A 2024/25. He would be just the second Italian to do so in an Udinese shirt since Antonio Di Natale’s departure, following only Kevin Lasagna. Furthermore, Lucca’s nine goals so far have earned Udinese 11 points – no other player’s goals have been as crucial for their team in Serie A. Sandi Lovric has also made a decisive impact, contributing to goals in each of Udinese’s last two home matches – his best streak since spring 2023. The Slovenian has also provided an assist in each of his last two appearances against Empoli.
Both Alexis Sanchez and Keinan Davis scored their most recent Serie A goals against Empoli. The Chilean did so on 1 April while still at Inter, while the English forward found the net in the reverse fixture on 25 November. Empoli will also bring two former Udinese players back to Bluenergy Stadium: Marco Silvestri, who made 90 Serie A appearances for the club between 2021 and 2024, and Giuseppe Pezzella, who featured 20 times between 2017 and 2019.