Trailing their visitors by one point in the Serie A standings, Empoli will attempt to leapfrog Udinese with a win at Stadio Castellani on Monday evening.
While the Azzurri continue to exceed expectations, their opponents slipped down the table by losing three straight games before the break.
Match preview
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Although they allowed lowly Lecce to fight back and earn a 1-1 draw last time out, Empoli still returned to Tuscany relatively grateful for adding another point to their total.
Pietro Pellegri - who had netted his first goal for the club just a few days earlier - opened the scoring with an unstoppable finish into the bottom corner, but the hosts not only equalised deep into the second half but also twice hit the woodwork.
As a result of hanging on until the final whistle, Empoli moved into the top half of the table, ahead of bigger clubs such as Torino and Roma - and just three points behind mighty AC Milan.
Since Roberto D'Aversa took charge in the summer, the Azzurri have lost only three of their 14 matches in all competitions, and they can look forward to next week's Coppa Italia clash against local rivals Fiorentina, with a quarter-final place at stake.
Having lost just one of their last six home games against Udinese in Serie A, they may expect to at least avoid defeat again on Monday - though they have scored only one league goal at the Castellani this season.
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Including a pair of draws last term, Udinese are unbeaten across their last five meetings with Empoli, who they narrowly survived alongside in a dramatic denouement to Serie A's 2023-24 survival fight.
However, the Bianconeri lost their last three matches before international football intervened - to Venezia, Juventus and Atalanta BC - and will travel to Tuscany amid a serious downturn in form.
Head coach Kosta Runjaic made an impressive start in Udine, initially leading his new club into Italy's top five, but they have recently returned empty-handed from four straight away fixtures, conceding nine goals in the process.
Last time out, Udinese took the lead through Hassane Kamara's stunning strike during first-half stoppage time, but Atalanta hit back after the break in Bergamo, consigning the visitors to a 2-1 defeat.
Nonetheless, most fans of the Friulani would have signed up for ninth place in the standings after 12 matches, after Runjaic inherited a squad that came so close to letting the club's long-held Serie A status slip away.
Team News
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Partly because of absences, Roberto D'Aversa is likely to set Empoli up in a 3-5-2 formation, with Milan loanee Lorenzo Colombo joining the rejuvenated Pietro Pellegri up front.
Plagued by injuries throughout his career - which has also taken him to Milan and Monaco - the latter scored in both of his last two outings and could now find the net in three straight games for the first time - either in Serie A or Ligue 1.
Despite having a fortnight to recover some players, D'Aversa will still be missing several men on Monday: Szymon Zurkowski, Samuele Perisan, Tyronne Ebuehi, Saba Sazonov, Alberto Grassi and Jacopo Fazzini are all sidelined by injury.
Meanwhile, Udinese's attack will be led by either Keinan Davis or Lorenzo Lucca. Since making his Serie A debut last season, only Duvan Zapata (10) has scored more headed goals than Lucca (six) in the Italian top flight, but Davis also poses an aerial threat.
Midfielder Martin Payero has sustained a knee injury in training and will join veteran striker Alexis Sanchez on the Bianconeri's absentee list; the ex-Arsenal forward still awaits his first appearance since moving back to Udine, due to an ongoing calf problem.
Empoli possible starting lineup:
Vasquez; Goglichidze, Ismajli, Viti; Gyasi, Henderson, Haas, Maleh, Pezzella; Pellegri, Colombo
Udinese possible starting lineup:
Okoye; Giannetti, Bijol, Toure; Ehizibue, Lovric, Karlstrom, Zarraga, Kamara; Thauvin, Lucca
We say: Empoli 0-0 Udinese
As Udinese do not travel well and Empoli frequently fail to score at home, a close-fought contest could be on the cards.
With two well-matched teams convening at the Castellani, a goalless stalemate may even be the final outcome.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Jonathan O'Shea
