- 1 Pisa vs Empoli: the Tuscan derby that gives two seasons a kickstart
- 2 Pisa: a rebuilt squad after a brutal drop
- 3 Empoli: a failed season and one less striker
- 4 Football prediction Pisa vs Empoli
- 5 First, a word on our free predictions
- 6 No commitment from us
- 7 Information that can change
- 8 Your role
- 9 Responsible gambling first
- 10 Legal age
- 11 About the visuals…
Pisa vs Empoli: the Tuscan derby that gives two seasons a kickstart 
Nine straight defeats to finish the season, 22 goals shipped in that run alone. Pisa went down from Serie A through the back door in May.
The Tuscan club gets back to business on Monday 17 August at 17h, at the Arena Garibaldi, against Empoli in the first round of the Italian Cup.
There is more at stake than a routine early-round tie. The winner will host Benevento or Fiorentina next, a glamour fixture that brings money and exposure.
Both clubs share the same medium-term aim: get back to Serie A. Pisa open their Serie B campaign against Padova, while Empoli host Cremonese a few days later.
The immediate balance of power points to the home side. Bookmakers make Pisa 1.95, with the draw at 3.35 and Empoli at 4.10.
Recent history, though, tells the opposite story. Empoli are unbeaten in the last five meetings between the sides, with four wins and a draw.
Two very different pre-season runs muddy the picture even further. Pisa thrashed Bologna 4-1, while Empoli followed two 1-1 draws against Spezia and Livorno.
That clash between recent form and head-to-head history is what makes this Tuscan derby worth a look.
Pisa: a rebuilt squad after a brutal drop
Pisa’s 2025-26 record reads like an inquest: 18 points from 37 matches and bottom place. Between February and May, the club picked up just four points.
Thirty years of waiting had gone into that return to the top flight, only for it to last one season. The appointment of Oscar Hiljemark midway through the campaign did nothing to change the slide. Paolo Bianco took over this summer. He arrives with a Serie A promotion already on his CV, having got Monza up through the play-offs last season, which fits the job perfectly.
So far, the signs are encouraging: two wins and a defeat from four matches, including that 4-1 hammering of Serie A side Bologna. It is the standout result of Pisa’s summer.
The squad has changed a lot. Rafiu Durosinmi has gone to Genk for a club-record fee, while Tommaso Marras, Simone Zanon and Giuseppe Leone have come in. Ichem Ferrah adds more depth, and a decent set of numbers too. The winger posted 18 goal involvements last season for Cambuur in the Netherlands.
Antonio Caracciolo remains captain and the leader at the back. Nicholas Bonfanti and Matheus Lusuardi are both out long term with serious knee injuries.
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Empoli: a failed season and one less striker 
Empoli were chasing an immediate return to Serie A last season. Instead, they finished 15th in Serie B, only a few points above the drop zone.
Their Italian Cup run went the same way. The Azzurri were knocked out in the second round by Genoa, two years after reaching the first semi-final in the club’s history.
That 2024 semi-final ended in a 5-1 aggregate defeat to eventual winners Bologna. It remains the high point of the club’s recent story.
Guido Pagliuca returned to the dugout this summer. His preparation started with two wins, then back-to-back 1-1 draws against Spezia and Livorno.
That last match offered a clear tactical clue. He tried a system with three central defenders, either a 3-5-2 or a 3-4-1-2, and he looks likely to stick with it on Monday.
The attack has been hit, though. Bohdan Popov and Stiven Shpendi, the club’s top scorer last season, were both missing against Livorno and remain doubts.
Without Shpendi, Filippo Distefano would lead the line. The former Fiorentina man would then make his first official appearance for his new club.
Probable Pisa XI: Semper ; Zanon, Canestrelli, Caracciolo, Angori ; Touré, Leone, Loyola ; Marras, Meister, Moreo
Probable Empoli XI: Perisan ; Curto, Romagnoli, Tosto ; Cauz, Yepes, Magnino, Ceesay ; Saporiti ; Bianchi, Distefano
Football prediction Pisa vs Empoli
Our pick: Pisa to win
Pisa put four past Bologna, a Serie A side, in their only real test of August so far. Empoli, by contrast, have stalled in two 1-1 draws against Spezia and Livorno.
The wider context backs that up. Bianco arrives with promotion secured and a squad refreshed by Marras, Zanon, Leone and Ferrah, while Empoli head in without Shpendi, their top scorer from last season.
At 1.95, a home win against a side that finished 15th in Serie B gives the best balance between price and form. Pisa are the call.
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