Preview: Fiorentina vs. Empoli - prediction, team news, lineups

The visitors, meanwhile, have also failed to win their last three league games, and would slip behind their opponents in the table should they be defeated.

Match preview

Indeed, after losing a fourth league game in their last five matches at the hands of their fiercest rivals Juventus last weekend, Fiorentina's season looks set to almost entirely be dictated by the cup competitions this time around.

Vincenzo Italiano's side are unlikely to be embroiled in a relegation battle given that they head into the weekend's action seven points clear of 18th-placed Hellas Verona, who they face away from home next weekend.

As such, after beating Braga 4-0 away from home in the first leg of their Europa Conference League play-off tie on Thursday, Italiano will sense a real opportunity to deliver the club their first piece of silverware in more than two decades after also defeating Torino in the Coppa Italia quarter-finals earlier this month.

With a two-legged tie against rock-bottom Cremonese awaiting them in April, I Viola are massive favourites to face either Juventus or Inter Milan in Italy's cup final, while there are not many stronger teams than them remaining in Europe's third competition.

Should they be able to claim two wins from their next two league games, then that would almost certainly put any lingering relegation concerns to bed ahead of launching an assault on both cup competitions across the closing months of the campaign.

Empoli, meanwhile, have performed above expectations so far this season to amass 27 points from 22 league games, despite suffering a dip in form in recent weeks.

Successive 2-2 draws at home against Torino and Spezia have sandwiched a 2-0 defeat away to Roma, although Paolo Zanetti's side showed remarkable courage to come from two goals behind and claim a point against Spezia, especially having been reduced to 10 men after only 21 minutes.

This is only Gli Azzurri's second season back in Italy's top flight following their most recent promotion in 2021, having survived by a comfortable 11-point margin last time around.

Having made the decision not to extend Aurelio Andreazzoli's contract last summer despite the 69-year-old comfortably keeping them up, the club have so far managed to avoid regretting that decision, with Zanetti hopeful of securing his side's safety across the forthcoming weeks.

Fiorentina Serie A form:

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Fiorentina form (all competitions):

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Empoli Serie A form:

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Team News

Italiano made five changes to his starting XI in Braga on Thursday, with one of those massively paying off after Luka Jovic bagged a brace. With the tie surely secured after delivering a surprisingly heavy 4-0 victory, the 45-year-old does not necessarily need to rotate, which should mean another start for the Serbia striker on Sunday.

Fiorentina welcomed Antonio Barak back from the bench against Braga after the midfielder recovered from a gastrointestinal issue in time to feature, but he is likely to be eased into first-team action.

Empoli, meanwhile, will travel without Fabiano Parisi after the defender's dismissal against Spezia earned himself a one-match suspension, with Liberato Cacace likely to come into the side at left-back.

Mattia Destro and Lorenzo Tonelli are ruled out due to calf and knee injuries respectively, while Alberto Grassi is a doubt due to a muscle strain.

Fiorentina possible starting lineup:

Terracciano; Dodo, Milenkovic, Igor, Biraghi; Bonaventura, Ambrabat, Duncan; Gonzalez, Jovic, Ikone

Empoli possible starting lineup:

Vicario; Ebuehi, Ismajli, Luperto, Cacace; Akpa-Akpro, Marin, Bandinelli; Baldanzi; Caputo, Cambiaghi

We say: Fiorentina 2-1 Empoli

Although Fiorentina may be a little fatigued given that there is less than a 72 hour turnaround between facing Braga on Thursday and this match, they should have taken huge confidence from their significant victory in Portugal.

Italiano will be targeting maximum points from their next two fixtures to move further away from the relegation zone, and we expect the Violets to complete the first step of that against Empoli on Sunday.

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