Palermo's Four-Game Winning Run Faces Its Sternest Test at an Empoli Side Finding Their Feet

Serie B. Saturday afternoon. Two sides who both believe they are heading somewhere. That is the setup for Empoli versus Palermo, and the thing is, the form book makes this a genuinely interesting collision rather than a straightforward call either way.

Empoli: Solid Recently, But the Bigger Picture Demands Honesty

Look at Empoli's last five in Serie B and you could talk yourself into backing them. Three wins, one draw, one loss. Their most recent outing was a 1-0 win over Carrarese. Before that they beat Cremonese 1-0 as well. Two clean sheets in their last two. That is the basics being executed. Defend properly, nick a goal, see it out. I can respect that.

But I am not going to pretend the ten-match picture does not exist. Zoom out and Empoli have won three, drawn two, and lost five of their last ten in this competition. That is not a promotion charge. That is a side with real inconsistency running through them. They shipped eleven goals across those ten matches and kept a clean sheet in just three of them. The recent form suggests they have steadied, but steadied is not the same as reliable. Not yet.

The thing is, what they have shown is that they can keep it tight when they need to. Wins over Carrarese and Cremonese, both 1-0, tell me there is some defensive organisation there. But that 1-3 loss to Mantova sandwiched between those wins tells me the standards are still inconsistent. One bad day and the wheels come off. Unacceptable at this level if you want to be competing for anything meaningful.

Palermo: Form That Demands Respect

Now look at Palermo and the numbers are harder to ignore. Four wins in a row in Serie B. Palermo beat Sampdoria 3-1, beat Arezzo 3-2, beat Juve Stabia 1-0, and beat Catanzaro 2-0 in their most recent completed matches. Four wins. Nine goals scored. That is not a soft run of form. That is a team competing and finishing. Those are the basics and they are doing them well.

Across their last ten, Palermo have won six, drawn two, and lost two. Sixteen goals scored in ten matches. That is consistent attacking output. They are not scraping 1-0 wins every week. They are putting teams away and doing it with something to spare in some of those contests.

Listen, you can always find a reason to doubt. That 0-3 loss to Catanzaro before the current run is a reminder that they can be turned over. And their clean sheet record across ten matches sits at thirty per cent. Goals at both ends is a theme. Fifty per cent of their last ten have seen both sides score. So Palermo defend, but they are not a fortress.

The attitude though. The desire shown over four consecutive wins. That is real. That is not a team sleepwalking. That is a team who have found something.

Where This Match Gets Decided

The thing is, Empoli at home have scored six and conceded five across their last five. Palermo away have scored nine and conceded six across their last five. Both sets of numbers point to a game with goals in it. Neither side is built around keeping clean sheets right now, whatever Empoli's last two results might suggest.

For Empoli, the question is simple. Can they produce the same defensive accountability they showed against Carrarese and Cremonese when a Palermo side in proper form comes at them? That is a different test. Palermo are not Carrarese. The desire and the attacking output Palermo have shown demands a proper response from Empoli's backline.

For Palermo, the question is whether the attitude that has carried them through four straight wins travels. Away from home in Serie B, on a Saturday afternoon, against a side who will be organised and hard to break down early. That is where mentality gets tested. Their away record across ten matches is strong. Six wins, two draws, two losses. They clearly have no issue performing away from their own supporters. That matters.

The Verdict

Empoli have shown some backbone in their last two matches. I will give them that. But Palermo are in the kind of form that builds real confidence, and confidence in a squad is contagious. Four wins in a row does something to a group of players. It raises the standards. It raises the accountability within the changing room.

The thing is, Empoli's ten-match record shows that this is a side capable of losing matches they should not lose. Against a Palermo team producing at this level, I would not be surprised if that fragility surfaces. The home advantage is real but it is not a guarantee of anything when the visitors are this sharp.

My read on this one is Palermo. They have the desire right now. They have the goals in them. And they have shown across ten matches that they can handle themselves in this division. Empoli will make it uncomfortable, but I think Palermo find a way to extend the run.

Back Palermo on the result. One selection. No messing about. End of.