Atalanta goalkeeper Marco Sportiello. (Photo : Getty Images)
Struggling contenders Atalanta BC (9-6-2, 29 points) will look to put a stop to their three-game winless slide as they take on the challenge of lowly team Empoli FC (3-9-5, 14 points) at their home field of Atleti Azzurri d'Italia Stadium on Tuesday, Dec. 20 in a 2016-2017 Serie A season match.
Start Time and Streaming Info
The game starts at 2:45 p.m. ET. It can be viewed live online thru FuboTV.
Atalanta has been on a downward spiral as of late as the team is not able to find a win in the last three rounds of Italian top flight competitions after going on a seven-game winning streak. The team is currently in the sixth spot in the overall standings, four points below fifth-place team AC Milan, who holds the second and final Europa League qualifying berth for next season.
Head coach Gian Piero Gasperini's side is coming off a 0-0 draw with Milan in their most recent fixture last Saturday held on the road at the Giuseppe Meazza Stadium in San Siro, as per Goal.
I Rossoneri was actually favored to win over La Dea during the match, but the visitors were able to hold Milan to a share of a point in the standings after the game.
Meanwhile, Empoli romped newly-promoted side Cagliari, 2-0, at their home ground of Carlo Castellani Stadium also last Saturday, ESPN reported.
Georgia striker Levan Mchedlidze was the man of the match for head coach Giovanni Martusciello's squad as he was the lone scorer during the contest by netting a brace.
Mchedlidze broke the game's deadlock in the eighth minute with a right-footed shot from the center box off an assist by Italian forward Guido Marilungo. He then doubled his team's lead in the 72nd minute, this time with a left-footer from the left side of the box, again with the assist coming from Marilungo.
The win snapped Empoli's four-game winless run as the team is now in the 17th spot of the league table, five points above the bottom three relegation area.
Prediction and Predicted Lineup
The predicted result is a 2-1 bounce back victory for Atalanta.
Atalanta starting lineup (3-4-1-2 formation): Sportiello; Masiello, Caldara, Toloi; Rafael, Gagliardini, Kessie, Conti; Gomez; Kurtic, Petagna
Empoli starting lineup (4-3-1-2 formation): Skorupski; Pasqual, Costa, Zambelli, Bellusci; Saponara, Croce, Krunic; Diousse; Mchedlidze, Marilungo
