Inter Milan striker Mauro Icardi. (Photo : Getty Images)
Rising squad Empoli FC (8-6-3, 27 points) will try to extend its four-game winning streak in the 2015-2016 Serie A season as it goes up against current league leader Inter Milan (11-3-3, 36 points) at the Stadio Carlo Castellani on Wednesday, January 6.
Empoli had been undefeated in their last five games, with the final four of them all victories, to move up to the eighth spot in the current league table.
Its last match was a close 3-2 win over lowly club Bologna at the Stadio Renato Dall'Ara on December 20, via SkySports.
I Azzurri was led by a double from striker Massimo Maccarone, who scored at the 42nd and 48th minutes, sandwiching Bologna forward Mattia Destro's 45th-minute goal.
Striker Manuel Pucciarelli provided the opening goal for Marco Giampaolo's squad at the 24th before another I Rossoblu forward Franco Brienza equalized it at the 36th.
Meanwhile, Inter was upset by a hard-fighting Lazio eleven, 1-2, at their home field in San Siro also on December 20, as reported by BBC Sport.
Internazionale team captain Mauro Icardi provided the lone goal for Roberto Mancini's side at the 61st minute, which was sandwiched by a double from Lazio winger Antonio Candreva at the fifth and 87th minutes.
Two red cards were given to I Nerazzurri's Felipe Melo and I Biancocelesti's Sergej Milinkovic-Savic during injury time for excessive fouls.
The loss did not remove Inter's grasp to the overall league leadership, but it has allowed top contenders Fiorentina and Napoli to move within a point of the top spot.
The predicted result is Inter Milan over Empoli, 2-1.
Empoli starting lineup (4-3-1-2 formation): Skorupski; Laurini, Tonelli, Costa, Rui; Zielinski, Maksimovic, Buchel; Saponara; Pucciarelli, Maccarone
Inter Milan starting lineup (4-2-3-1 formation): Handanovic; Montoya, Miranda, Murillo, Alex; Kondogbia, Medel; Biabiany, Jovetic, Perisic; Icardi
