The Aquile are hoping to secure a second-placed finish and these Empoli vs. Lazio predictions suggest they could be successful. The position of ‘best of the rest’ will go to Maurizio Sarri’s side should beat Empoli on Saturday.
Empoli vs. Lazio odds
1 – Lazio to win – 21/20
2 – Both teams to score – 16/25
3 – Over 2.5 goals scored – 9/13
4 – Ciro Immobile to score first – 9/2
5 – Match to end in a draw – 14/5
Maurizio Sarri will claim his second Serie A runners-up medal should Lazio win away to Empoli this weekend. The Azzurri have little to play for having safely avoided the drop-zone this season, but are in fine form ahead of Sunday’s clash.
Lazio are heavy favourites with the bookmakers though, and have not lost to their weekend opponents in any of their last six encounters. That being said, the hosts are not going to make it easy for the Aquile in the final game of the season, with Paolo Zanetti’s side enjoying a five-match unbeaten run.
Empoli proved their capabilities recently in a shock 4-1 win over Juventus. But the result was more than just a fluke, as it sat in the midst of a run that saw the Tuscan team score in six consecutive matches. While they may find Lazio tougher opponents, a wager on the hosts to score could well pay off.
Fortunately for Maurizio Sarri’s side, they have proven themselves more than capable of scoring themselves out of trouble this season, most recently last weekend against Cremonese. Lazio have scored over 1.5 goals per game this season and a wager on a similarly high-scoring match on Sunday is likely to provide a return – with top-scorer Ciro Immobile our tip to open to proceedings.
Recent clashes between the two teams further enhance the likelihood of goal-fest this weekend, with an average of 4.5 goals scored per game over the last three meetings. These previous clashes may also provide some inspiration for Empoli, as the last two results have ended in a draw.
Having already taken points off the likes of Milan and Inter this season, another draw for Empoli is far from unlikely, but could provide yet another twist in the race for second place.
How to stream Empoli vs. Lazio
Tune in to Empoli vs. Lazio live on Saturday with a credited bet365 account or having placed a bet up to 24 hours before kick-off.
Empoli vs. Lazio last five matches
Empoli last five matches
Lazio last five matches
Empoli top goal scorers
| Player | Total goals |
|---|---|
| 6 | |
| 5 | |
| 4 | |
| 2 | |
| 2 |
Lazio top goalscorers
| Player | Total goals |
|---|---|
| 12 | |
| 10 | |
| 9 | |
| 9 | |
| 6 |
Empoli vs. Lazio line-ups
Empoli (4-2-3-1): Vicario; Ebuehi, Ismajli, Luperto, Parisi; Haas, Grassi; Akpa, Fazzini, Cambiaghi; Piccoli
Lazio (4-3-3) Provedel; Lazzarri, Casale, Romagnoli, Hysaj; Milinkovic-Savic, Vecino, Alberto; Zacccagni, Immobile, Anderson
Empoli team news
Fabiano Parisi will return from suspension on Sunday and most likely start at left back for Liberato Cacace. Tommaso Baldanzi remains on international duty, while Francesco Caputo and Koni de Winter are expected to miss out through injury.
Lazio team news
Few, if any, changes are expected from Maurizio Sarri, who is only without Danilo Cataldi for the trip to Empoli. The coach himself will be absent, however, having received a red card last week against Cremonese.