With one side fighting for a top-four finish and the other scrapping for survival, Lazio will meet Empoli at Stadio Castellani on Sunday.
Despite struggling for consistency, the Rome club have not given up on reaching the Champions League, while their relegation-threatened hosts last won a Serie A match in December.
Match preview
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Trailing by two goals deep into the second half of Monday’s home game against Parma, Lazio relied on an old hand to dig them out of trouble at Stadio Olimpico, where Pedro‘s late brace saved the day.
The former Spain star has now scored seven goals as a substitute in Serie A this season – across Europe’s top five leagues, only Atletico Madrid’s Alexander Sorloth (nine) has managed more – and another late intervention from the evergreen 37-year-old snatched a point.
However, the Biancocelesti have won only one of their last 10 home fixtures, as a once-promising campaign begins to fade – they now lie outside Italy’s top four, having recently exited the Europa League.
During the first half of the season, Lazio averaged 1.84 points per game, but that has since dropped to 1.67 – and their goal rate has slipped from 1.74 to 1.60.
Due to their woes in Rome, Marco Baroni‘s men have actually accrued more points on the road this term, recently winning both of their last two away games – against Atalanta BC and Genoa.
So, having prevailed on their last five trips to the Castellani, scoring 10 goals and keeping three clean sheets, they may expect to win once again and keep continental dreams alive.
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Beaten 2-1 in the capital earlier this season – when none other than Pedro scored their hosts’ 84th-minute winner – Empoli’s most recent victory over Lazio dates back to November 2015.
More pertinently, the Azzurri’s last league win against anyone came towards the end of last year, since when they have been in freefall towards Serie B.
Soon after losing the club’s first-ever Coppa Italia semi-final, last week’s Derby dell’Arno defeat to Fiorentina made it 19 top-flight games without a win, which represents the Tuscan team’s worst run in Serie A – a 2-1 loss to their local rivals also left them stuck inside the drop zone.
With just four games left to replicate last year’s dramatic escape, Roberto D’Aversa‘s side still have fellow strugglers Monza, Parma and Hellas Verona to play, so taking anything from European hopefuls Lazio would be a bonus.
Empoli only trail 17th-placed Lecce by two points, so salvation is certainly not beyond them, but a dismal league record of one win and seven goals scored on home turf suggests they will find it tough to beat the Biancocelesti.
Team News
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Although Reda Belahyane returns to the fold following a one-match ban, Marco Baroni is still missing injured defensive duo Nuno Tavares and Patric this weekend.
In the absence of Nuno Tavares, who racked up eight assists in the first half of the season, Luca Pellegrini should continue at left-back – the latter has set up three of Lazio’s last five league goals with a cross.
It remains to be seen whether super-sub Pedro – whose goal split these sides in October – can force his way into the starting XI, as he aims to score again and equal a personal best Serie A tally of nine strikes in one season.
Sure to start up front for the visitors, Taty Castellanos should spearhead an attack also featuring Boulaye Dia (11 goal involvements) and captain Mattia Zaccagni (14).
Meanwhile, Empoli’s front line is usually led by Sebastiano Esposito and Jacopo Fazzini – the latter of whom has scored in both of his last two league appearances – but Roberto D’Aversa has some selection issues to resolve in midfield.
Viktor Kovalenko and Tino Anjorin could join forces in the hosts’ engine room, due to the absence of suspended pair Alberto Grassi and Liam Henderson.
While Liberato Cacace is now back from a ban, and Tyronne Ebuehi hopes to be passed fit, the Azzurri are still without Youssef Maleh, Szymon Zurkowski, Nicolas Haas, Saba Sazonov, Pietro Pellegri and Christian Kouame through injury.
Empoli possible starting lineup:
Vazquez; Goglichidze, Ismajli, Viti; Gyasi, Anjorin, Kovalenko, Pezzella; Fazzini, Cacace; Esposito
Lazio possible starting lineup:
Mandas; Marusic, Gila, Romagnoli, Pellegrini; Rovella, Guendouzi; Isaksen, Dia, Zaccagni; Castellanos
We say: Empoli 0-3 Lazio
While the home side are desperately short of confidence, their visitors will be fully focused on taking maximum points from what is a must-win game if they are to sneak back into Serie A’s top four.
Even if the game remains tight in its latter stages, Lazio have scored more goals in the final 15 minutes (20) than anyone else – meanwhile, ailing Empoli have conceded the most (16) during that same period.
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