Empoli – Lazio Rome
When a club with its back against the wall meets another that is desperate to keep its Europa League dreams alive, the temperature in the Stadio Carlo Castellani rises automatically. Empoli are in 19th place, ten points behind the safety zone, without a win since December and with a long list of injuries including Maleh, Żurkowski and Henderson. Lazio are the favorites, but five draws in a row – including a shaky 2-2 against Parma – have almost derailed the Romans’ Champions League hopes; seventh place is the minimum, anything above that would be a bonus. The Biancocelesti have won four of the last five direct encounters, while Empoli are still waiting for their first 90-minute victory against this opponent. In short, there is much more than three points at stake for both sides on Sunday.
Empoli – Lazio Rome Info
- Venue: Stadio Carlo Castellani – Computer Gross Arena, Empoli
- Date and time: May 4, 2025, 12:30 p.m.
- Competition: Serie A (matchday 35)
Empoli form & record check
Empoli stumbles through spring: The team has picked up just two points in its last five league games, most recently losing 1-2 in Florence. Neither its finishing nor its defense is on point – in four of these games, it conceded at least 1.5 goals. What weighs particularly heavily is that the team never took the lead and was constantly chasing the game. With only 25 points, the club is stuck in 19th place in the table, one point ahead of Venezia. Suspensions (Henderson) and injuries (Żurkowski) are also forcing coach D’Aversa to improvise.
D’Aversa is unlikely to change his 3-4-2-1 formation: Goglichidze, Ismajli, and Viti will line up in front of goalkeeper Vásquez. Gyasi and Pezzella will play on the wings, with Anjorin replacing the suspended Henderson in the center alongside Kovalenko. Solbakken and Fazzini will support striker Esposito. The long list of absentees – Kouamé, Maleh, Żurkowski, Pellegri – further limits the options available.
Lazio Rome form & record check
Lazio have kept a clean sheet in their last five games without really shining: two wins and three draws, the latest a 2-2 draw against Parma after falling 2-0 behind early on, illustrate their shaky character. Early goals conceded remain a recurring theme; the Romans have scored and conceded at least twice in all five games, mostly after the break. Seventh place in the table (60 points, level with Roma) is anything but secure, especially with Fiorentina lurking behind. Injuries to Patric and Nuno Tavares limit the rotation, but players such as Pedro and Rovella are keeping alive the hope of European football.
The visitors are likely to line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation: Mandas in goal; Marušić, Gila, Romagnoli, and Pellegrini in a back four; Rovella and Guendouzi in the middle; Isaksen, Dia, and Zaccagni in front of lone striker Castellanos. Pedro remains the wild card for the final stages. Patric, Nuno Tavares, and Lazzari are still out, so stability in defense is paramount.
H2H Empoli – Lazio Rome Head-to-head & statistics
The recent record clearly favors Lazio: four wins and a 2-2 draw from the last five encounters, with Empoli failing to win any of them. Remarkably, Lazio scored at least one goal after the break in all of those games; four times, the first half ended with less than 1.5 goals before the pace picked up. Overall, there were always more than two goals scored – although Empoli only found the net once.
