Football Data: Number crunching ahead of Sampdoria v Empoli

We run the rule over Sunday’s contest at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris between Sampdoria and Empoli, with a little help from the leading Italian statistics agency on national and international football.

Ton up for Alvarez. Ricky Alvarez is on the verge of his 100th appearance in Serie A. The Argentine made his debut on 11 September 2011 during Palermo 4-3 Inter and has played for the Nerazzurri and the Blucerchiati so far in Italy.

Century appearance for Regini at Samp. One of the many players coming up against their former employers on Sunday afternoon, Vasco Regini is set to play his 100th game for Sampdoria against Empoli. The Italian defender made his debut for the club in a 5-0 thrashing of Reggina. Broken down, 91 of Regini’s 100 games at Doria have come in Serie A, seven in the Coppa Italia and one in Europe.

Goalscorers on relatively short supply at the Marassi. Five from Sampdoria, six from Empoli: the two sides with the fewest number of different goalscorers in the top flight this season are coming up against each other on Sunday afternoon. Only Edgar Barreto, Bruno Fernandes, Luis Muriel, Fabio Quagliarella and Patrik Schick have got themselves on the scoresheet for the Blucerchiati, while Giuseppe Bellusci, Andrea Costa, Massimo Maccarone, Levan Mchedlidze, Manuel Pucciarelli and Riccardo Saponara have done the same for the Tuscans.

Samp’s subs puts Empoli’s to shame. Sampdoria join Roma and Napoli as the clubs who’ve scored the most goals from the bench with six (Schick and Bruno Fernandes have three each). At the other end of the scale with Inter and Bologna, the Azzurri have only managed one after Maccarone came off the bench and scored against Palermo last weekend.

Empoli’s “yellow fever”. The Tuscan side have picked up the joint-most bookings in Serie A this season with 55 and Bellusci is joint-first in the individual stakes with seven yellow cards (the same as Fiorentina’s Nenad Tomovic).

Empoli, king of the goalless draw. Empoli have featured in the most 0-0 draws this season: five in 19 matches.

Maccarone to join Empoli’s 100 club? The veteran striker has a record of 99 goals in 270 competitive fixtures for the Tuscan outfit and will be looking to reach the big milestone against Sampdoria on Sunday. Maccarone has 26 strikes in Serie A (a record at the club), 64 in the second flight, seven in the Coppa Italia and one each in the Serie B promotion and relegation playoffs respectively.