AS Roma Vs Empoli: Paulo Dybala Ready To Contribute To Winning Victory At The Olimpico

Paulo Dybala, ready to contribute positively to AS Roma (photo: x @PauDybala_JR)

JAKARTA - AS Roma will seek to score their first win in the 2024/25 Serie A season against Empoli at Stadio Olimpico on Sunday, August 25. After only playing a goalless draw against Cagliari last week, Daniele De Rossi's men will look for ways to break the deadlock and earn three points at home.

After replacing Jose Mourinho last season, Daniele De Rossi managed to pass his exam impressively, until he was finally awarded a three-year contract and a number of new recruits. Despite the arrival of Artem Dovbyk, Matias Soule, and Enzo Le Fee, keeping Paulo Dybala may be the most important moment in De Rossi's efforts to rebuild the team.

Dybala almost received a lucrative offer from Saudi Arabia, but in the last minute, he decided to stay in Rome for at least the next few months. However, in the Serie A opener against Cagliari, Dybala only played as a substitute, which ended in a goalless draw in Sardinia.

Roma showed some positive signs of De Rossi's strategy in the match, including leading in high turnovers statistics and possession in the final third of the pitch. However, they managed to win only one of the last eight games in all competitions. Even so, Roma have won eight of their last nine matches against Empoli, including a 7-0 win at the Stadio Olimpico last season.

For Empoli, the crushing defeat was the biggest in their history in Serie A. However, they managed to retaliate with a 2-1 win in the final match of the 2023-24 season, which ensured they escaped relegation.

After securing a place in Serie A this season, Empoli's new coach, Roberto D'Aversa, will seek to maintain that performance. Empoli started the season with a 4-1 win over Catanzaro in the Coppa Italia, before playing a goalless draw against Monza in Serie A's opener.

However, a big challenge awaits them in Rome, where they have never won in their last 16 visits, only two draws and 14 defeats.

In this match, Roma were able to field Paulo Dybala from the start after the Argentine decided to stay at the club. Dybala will compete with Matias Soule and Stephan El Shaarawy to support Artem Dovbyk up front. Meanwhile, Tommoso Baldanzi, who joined Empoli last season, will face his former club in the hope of scoring his first goal for Roma.

In Empoli's camp, coach Roberto D'Aversa had to lose Tyronne Ebuehi and Samuele Perisan due to injury, while Alberto Grassi was absent due to suspension. Szymon Zurkowski is also in doubt of appearing and will undergo a final fitness test. Even so, Ola Solbakken, who was recently borrowed from Rome, could be an option to strengthen the attack line with Lorenzo Colombo.

Estimated Lineup:

Roma (4-3-3):Svilar; Celik, Mancini, Ndicka, Angelino; Cristante, Paredes, Pellegrini; Soule, Dovbyk, Dybala

Empoli (3-4-2-1):Vasquez; Walukiewicz, Ismajli, Viti; Gyasi, Henderson, Haas, Pezzella; Fazzini, Esposito; Colombo