If you’re not ready for Modena vs Empoli at Stadio Alberto Braglia, maybe check your pulse—because this one’s got the vibes of a Tarantino climax: high stakes, wild swings, and two teams playing for more than just points, but for a place in Serie B’s mythology. This isn’t just “first versus twelfth” on paper. This is that moment in any great sports movie (think Any Given Sunday or the last act of Miracle) where the underdog limbers up, the favorite grows suspicious, and the whole crowd holds its breath wondering if the ceiling is about to cave in or the legend finally walks through the door.
Let’s start with Modena. First place, unbeaten in seven, 17 points, and looking like the love child of an Italian espresso and a well-tuned Ferrari engine: smooth, quick, and delivering a jolt every time they hit the accelerator. I mean, five wins out of seven? This squad’s not just on a roll, they’re frying the competition like Tony Soprano at Sunday dinner. Their recent form: four wins and a draw, conceding just two goals in five games. Ettore Gliozzi is out here doing his best John Wick impression—every match, someone pays. The dude’s bagged five goals in his last five, popping up in all the right places whether it’s the first minute or the dying embers. Pedro Mendes, Alessandro Sersanti, Daniel Tonoli—they’re not just bit players either. Modena’s attack is layered like a Christopher Nolan plot, full of reveals and late twists.
But let’s not hand Modena the Oscar just yet. Their average across the last ten matches is just 0.9 goals per game—efficient, sure, but not exactly fireworks. Defensively, though, they lock it down tighter than Alcatraz in its prime. This is a team that suffocates hope, grinds out results, and isn’t afraid to get a little ugly if it means keeping that “0L” on the record. They’ve got swagger, confidence, and the kind of form that can make a city believe again.
Empoli, meanwhile, comes in looking like a team that’s spent the first act searching for their script. Twelfth place, nine points, and a mixed bag over their last five—two wins, two draws, a couple of losses. But here’s the twist: their most recent outing was a gutsy 2-1 win away at Sudtirol, driven by Stiven Shpendi and Marco Nasti—guys who know how to show up in the clutch. Before that, there were draws against Monza and Carrarese, a sticky Coppa Italia exit at Genoa, and a humbling 0-4 loss at Pescara that probably left their fans wondering if this season was about to go full disaster movie.
Still, Empoli isn’t the kind of team you write off as the plucky sidekick. Over their last ten, they’re averaging a goal a game, showing flashes of attacking punch, but leaving gaps at the back bigger than the holes in the plot of the last Fast & Furious movie. Their top marksman, Bohdan Popov, is living up to his TV drama namesake—always turning up for the big reveal with four goals, while Shpendi and Jacopo Fazzini provide backup with three and two apiece. Salvatore Elia and Rares Ilie, the assist specialists, can turn any loose ball into a twist in the tale.
What makes this match juicy—what gives it that popcorn-worthy anticipation—is not simply the points on offer, but the collision of trajectories. Modena looks destined for a title run. Unbeaten, disciplined, all the signs of a team ready to punch their ticket up. Empoli, however, is in that dangerous “nothing to lose” phase; they can play loose, gamble, try to flip the script. That kind of desperation is like unleashing Rocky against Apollo Creed after a montage—unpredictable, combustible, and sometimes enough to make history.
The tactical chessboard will be fascinating. Modena’s strength is in their discipline. Gliozzi’s movement off the ball pulls defenses apart, creating chances for Mendes and Sersanti to pounce between the lines. Don’t expect endless possession or tiki-taka. Instead, watch for those ruthless transitional attacks, like a good Guy Ritchie getaway—quick, direct, clinical.
Empoli, on the other side, will try to tip the scales with higher possession. They’ve averaged over 50% ball control in recent games and like to probe, draw out the opposition, and then strike when nerves fray. The battle in midfield will be like Game of Thrones—lots of posturing, some real fight, and maybe a betrayal or two. If Empoli’s creators get enough touches, and Popov or Shpendi sneak into dangerous spots, we could see fire on the Braglia turf.
So what’s at stake? For Modena, it’s about proving they’re more than just a hot start—convincing fans that the dream has real legs, that this could be the year the city wakes up to glory after too many seasons of “almost.” For Empoli, it’s about chaos, redemption, and ruining someone else’s party; they win here, and suddenly those early season stumbles look like the prologue to a comeback story.
I’ll go spicy: Modena’s discipline should give them the edge, especially at home, and Gliozzi is in the kind of form where you half-expect him to pull off an action-hero ending. But Empoli’s got a touch of the wild card, and if they hit first, all bets are off. Classic sports movie setup—the favorite versus the team with nothing to lose, everyone bracing for the twist.
Mark the date, grab your popcorn, and let’s see if Modena can keep writing their legend—or if Empoli crashes the script and leaves us with a new blockbuster ending. Either way, this one’s primed for drama, and in Serie B, drama is all we ever want.