Separated by two points and two places in the Serie A standings, Empoli and Sassuolo convene at Stadio Carlo Castellani on Sunday, both aiming to pull further clear of the drop zone.
While the hosts stunned Serie A's reigning champions Napoli just before the international break, their visitors' last league win came back in September.
Match preview
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After taking over from Paolo Zanetti early in the season, veteran coach Aurelio Andreazzoli had failed to make much of an impact on Empoli's ailing fortunes before they travelled south to Naples a fortnight ago.
Ultimately leading to the departure of Napoli coach Rudi Garcia, the Tuscan club's 1-0 victory at Stadio Maradona fittingly came out of the blue, as they shocked their fellow Azzurri with a stoppage-time goal from Viktor Kovalenko.
That was enough to lift Empoli out of the relegation zone after a terrible start to the 2023-24 campaign, in which they have lost four of their six home matches while scoring just once at Stadio Castellani.
The Azzurri are only the fourth team this century to score as few as five goals in their first dozen fixtures of a Serie A season, and if they are to avoid a long battle against the drop like last season, finding more firepower must be top of Andreazzoli's agenda.
Winners in three of their last five league meetings with Sassuolo ahead of this week's clash, Empoli may be buoyed not only by their improbable success last time out but also their visitors' recent woes.
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Though they battled back for a 2-2 draw with fellow strugglers Salernitana shortly before international football intervened, one point was only good enough to move Sassuolo on to a modest tally of 12 for this season.
Since being promoted to Serie A, only in 2013-14 and 2017-18 have the Emilian club gained fewer points after 12 league matches, and pressure is growing on coach Alessio Dionisi to improve results soon.
Indeed, Sassuolo's last league victory - they progressed in the Coppa Italia with a penalty-shootout win over Spezia earlier this month - came in late September, when they upset Scudetto favourites Inter at San Siro.
That surprise success represents the Neroverdi's only win from their last 10 top-flight away fixtures stretching back to last season, and they have also conceded more goals on the road this calendar year than anyone else: 33 in 16 games, at an average of 2.1 per match.
Kristian Thorstvedt's second-half brace saved them on home turf last time out, but Sassuolo have dropped the joint-most points after leading away from home (five) ahead of their trip to Tuscany this weekend, when defeat would see them slip below their opponents in the Serie A standings.
Team News
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As Tommaso Baldanzi's presence is in doubt for Empoli due to an ankle injury, Aurelio Andreazzoli should select Nicolo Cambiaghi and Matteo Cancellieri behind lone striker Francesco Caputo this weekend - although Viktor Kovalenko is also in contention after his match-winning intervention at Stadio Maradona.
Caputo, who has scored two of the Azzurri's five league goals this term, netted 32 of his 68 Serie A strikes while with Sassuolo between 2019 and 2021, and the onus will be on the 36-year-old to score against his former club on Sunday afternoon.
Full-back Giuseppe Pezzella is the hosts' sole confirmed absentee, so New Zealand international Liberato Cacace continues on the left side of their back four; Mattia Destro may also be ruled out by a muscular problem.
Meanwhile, Sassuolo midfielder Matheus Henrique has recovered from a hamstring injury and could resume his role in the visitors' engine room, alongside Daniel Boloca. Pedro Obiang and ACL victim Agustin Alvarez would therefore be the only men unavailable to Alessio Dionisi.
Starting on the right side of the Neroverdi's attack, Italy winger Domenico Berardi has been directly involved in five goals from his two most recent games against Empoli - three of his own and two assists - so should relish visiting Stadio Castellani.
Empoli possible starting lineup:
Berisha; Bereszynski, Ismajli, Luperto, Cacace; Marin, Grassi, Maleh; Cambiaghi, Cancellieri; Caputo
Sassuolo possible starting lineup:
Consigli; Toljan, Erlic, Ferrari, Vina; Boloca, Henrique; Berardi, Thorstvedt, Lauriente; Pinamonti
We say: Empoli 0-0 Sassuolo
In the brief history of these two clubs' Serie A encounters, they have never played out a single draw: 12 previous matches have brought seven wins for Sassuolo and five for Empoli. However, given both teams' limitations at the moment, they may have to settle for one point apiece on Sunday.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Jonathan O'Shea
