Empoli midfielder Marcel Buchel (L). (Photo : Getty Images)
Lowly squad Empoli FC (4-6-3, 15 points) will take on reeling team SS Lazio (6-6-1, 19 points) in a 2015-2016 Serie A game at the Stadio Carlo Castellani on Sunday, November 29.
Empoli is currently at the 16th spot in the league table, just four points above the bottom three relegation squads, but they had been gathering points with only two losses in their past six games.
Their last match was an impressive 2-2 draw with contending club Fiorentina on the road at the Stadio Artemio Franchi last Sunday, as per Goal.
I Azzurri actually led the game 2-0 early in the first half after striker Marko Livaja and midfielder Marcel Buchel scored a goal each at the 18th and 27th-minute marks, but Viola forward Nikola Kalinic pulled off a brace in the second half, at the 55th and 61st to save his team the one point.
Meanwhile, Lazio is on a four-game winless skid with their last one a 1-1 draw with Palermo at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, via SkySports.
Palermo defender Edoardo Goldaniga opened the scoring at the 21st minute and it took 49 minutes before the Eagles could answer with a penalty kick from midfielder Antonio Candreva as Lazio avoided a fourth straight loss.
The predicted result is a close 2-1 win for Empoli. Marco Giampaolo's squad is on the rise while Stefano Pioli's is going in the opposite direction.
Empoli starting lineup (4-3-1-2 formation): Skorupski; Laurini, Tonelli, Costa, Rui; Zielinski, Maksimovic, Buchel; Saponara; Livaja, Maccarone
Lazio starting lineup (4-3-3 formation): Marchetti; Basta, Hoedt, Gentiletti, Lulic; Milinkovic-Savic, Biglia, Mandziuk; Anderson, Djordjevic, Keita
