After last week's heroics in league and cup, Empoli will aim to pull further clear of faltering Torino when the pair meet at Stadio Castellani on Friday evening.

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

Match preview

Reaching the cup quarter-finals at the home of Tuscan rivals Fiorentina seems to have revived a declining Empoli side, as last week's victory in a Coppa Italia edition of the Derby dell'Arno was followed by an overdue league victory.

Four days after Sebastiano Esposito's late equaliser set up a shootout in the cup, which saw the Azzurri prevail 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 matches - against promoted strugglers Como - before visiting 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.

Now occupying 10th place, with 19 points on the board, victory on Friday would take them level with Bologna and AC Milan for at least a short while - albeit they will have played two games more than either.

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

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

Having since slipped below their hosts in the standings, Vanoli's team will travel to Empoli on a worrying six-match winless streak.

After losing four of their previous five games, the Granata were almost grateful to take one point from a grim 0-0 draw in Genoa last weekend, when both sides demonstrated their limitations.

Leaving them in 12th place, that result means Torino have now fired blanks in five of their last six outings, as a season-ending injury to captain and star striker Duvan Zapata continues to take its toll.

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

Team News

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

After a return to form, which featured three goals in as many matches, Pellegri begins the long road to recovery, while Szymon Zurkowski, Tyronne Ebuehi, Saba Sazonov, Nicolas Haas and Jacopo Fazzini are still unavailable.

Furthermore, Scottish midfielder Liam Henderson must serve a suspension and Alberto Grassi is doubtful due to an ankle issue.

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

Meanwhile, Torino are without long-term absentees Duvan Zapata and Perr Schuurs, while Ivan Ilic is also ruled out with a hamstring injury.

After surprisingly being left on the bench throughout the 0-0 draw against Genoa, it remains to be seen whether versatile forward Nikola Vlasic will be recalled, but misfiring strikers Che Adams and Antonio Sanabria are again set to start up front.

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

Torino possible starting lineup:
Milinkovic-Savic; Walukiewicz, Coco, Masina; Pedersen, Vlasic, Ricci, Gineitis, Lazaro; Adams, Sanabria

We say: Empoli 1-1 Torino

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

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


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