Roma – Empoli

Empoli will resist the favourites in the encounter

Roma suffered their first defeat of the new year last weekend. The first defeat of the new year came against top scudetto contender Napoli. "Wolves lost 2-1, conceding the decisive goal on 86 minutes. It's worth mentioning that, on the whole, the Romans showed decent football and Seu Jose was right in his post-match interview. The Portuguese stated that his side deserved better, but this season will be Napoli's season. It is difficult to fault the Giallorossi's recent results: before the meeting with the Neapolitans, the team had four wins and a draw. In this phase, Roma have defeated Bologna, Genoa, Fiorentina and La Spezia and shared points with Milan. But, as far as games are concerned, Roma are by no means always happy. The team's inertia has been the target of criticism by many journalists and fans. Five goals in the past three rounds is rather the exception to the rule for the Wolves. They now face Cremonese in the Italian Cup on Wednesday. It's not the most formidable opponent, but the Giallorossi's schedule is far too full without him. Nicolo Zagnolo, who has been left out of the squad following transfer problems, is no help to the club. Unlike their opponents, Empoli have a freer calendar and more than decent results. The team managed to play five games and failed to lose even once. Paolo Zanetti's charges managed to sensationally defeat Inter. There were also drawn draws with Udinese, Lazio, Torino and a minimum victory over Sampdoria. However, the encounter with the Bulls did not follow the script that Empoli would have preferred. "The Azzurri were 2-0 up until the 82nd minute but they conceded twice. It's worth paying tribute to the team. They played without the suspended Henderson and Parisi as well as several injured players. At least the first two will be available as early as Saturday. Recent successes have allowed the Tuscans to climb to tenth place. It is unlikely that the team will be able to break into the European competition. However, it all depends on themselves. In the first leg, Roma claimed a 1-2 away win. If success now comes down to the Wolves, it is unlikely to be a blowout. Empoli will be able to put up a good fight against a tired side.