Preview: Empoli vs. Torino – prediction, team news, lineups

After last week’s heroics in league and cup, Empoli will aim to pull further free of faltering Turin when the pair meet at the Stadio Castellani on Friday night.

While the Azzurri followed a dramatic Coppa Italia win with an emphatic Serie A success last time out, Toro’s long wait for a win continues.

Match preview

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Reaching the cup quarter-finals at home to Tuscan rivals Fiorentina appears to have reinvigorated a slumping Empoli side as last week’s win in a Coppa Italia edition of the Derby dell’Arno was followed by a league win.

Four days after Sebastiano Esposito‘s late equalizer set up a cup shootout which saw the Azzurri win on penalties, they were back on Serie A duty away to Hellas Verona.

Roberto D’Aversa‘s men had won just one of their previous nine league games – against the promoted Como – before visiting the Stadio Bentegodi, but Esposito struck twice before goals from Liberato Cacace and Lorenzo Colombo later sealed a 4-1 win.

Incidentally, both of Esposito’s brothers joined the celebrations by scoring on the same day in Serie B, and his first-half brace helped Empoli back into the top half of the table.

In 10th place, with 19 points on the board, victory on Friday would bring them level with Bologna and AC Milan for at least a short while – albeit they will have played two games more than both.

When they last faced Torino in the league, a 3-2 home win proved crucial in their battle to stay afloat in Serie A, and Empoli have lost just one of the clubs’ last five meetings.

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That sequence includes September’s Coppa Italia tie in Turin, where a 90th-minute strike saw Toro eliminated from the trophy, effectively marking the end of a bright start to Paolo Vanoli‘s reign.

After slipping under their hosts the positionsVanoli’s side will travel to Empoli on a worrying six-match winless streak.

Having lost four of their previous five matches, the Granata were almost grateful to take a point from a dismal 0-0 draw in Genoa last weekend, with both sides demonstrating their limitations.

Leaving them in 12th place, the result means Torino have now kept clean sheets in five of their last six outings, as a season-ending injury to captain and star striker. Duvan Zapata continues to make its mark.

They have also picked up just one point from a possible last 15 away from home, so Vanoli will be keen to reverse that trend on Friday – or his ailing side could slide closer to the drop zone.

Empoli Serie A form:

Empoli form (all competitions):

Torino Serie A form:

Team news

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Joining a long absence list for Empoli, former Torino striker Pietro Pellegri has suffered the latest setback in his injury-hit career and will be out for several months after rupturing an ACL in last week’s game against Verona.

After a return to form that featured three goals in as many games, Pellegri begins the long road to recovery, while Szymon Zurkowski, Tyrone Ebuehi, Saba Sazonov, Nicolas Haas, Ola Solbakken and Jacopo Fazzini are also not available.

Also Scottish midfielder Liam Henderson must serve a suspension and Alberto Grassi is questionable due to an ankle problem.

Just ahead of Pellegri and Milan loanee Lorenzo Colombo, Inter-owned Sebastiano Esposito is now the Azzurri’s top scorer with four goals and should feature in the final third.

Meanwhile, Torino are without long-term absentee Duvan Zapata and Perr Schuursbut Ivan Ilic is back in action after a hamstring injury.

After surprisingly remaining on the bench for the entirety of the 0-0 draw against Genoa, it remains to be seen whether the versatile striker Nikola Vlasic will be recalled while the attackers misfire Hey Adams and Antonio Sanabria is again set to start over.

Empoli possible starting lineup:
Vasquez; Goglichidze, Ismajli, Viti; Gyasi, Anjorin, Maleh, Cacace, Pezzella; Esposito, Colombo

Torino possible starting line-up:
Milinkovic-Savic; Walukiewicz, Coco, Masina; Pedersen, Vlasic, Ricci, Gineitis, Sosa; Adams, Sanabria

We say: Empoli 1-1 Torino

Slightly weakened by further absences, Empoli could see their resurgence halted by Torino, who rarely concede more than once but struggle to score.

The hosts have also won just one Serie A game at the Castellani this term, so Toro can at least leave Tuscany with a point.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

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