Relegation-threatened Cremonese will be looking to claim back-to-back Serie A wins for the first time this season when they play host to Empoli at the Giovanni Zini Stadium on Friday.
While the Gray and Reds find themselves 19th in the table, the Blues are sitting five places further up in 14th with twice as many points.
Match preview
© Reuters
Cremonese ended a five-game winless streak when they secured maximum points in a thrilling 3-2 victory away against basement club Sampdoria last weekend.
The Gray and Reds were trailing 2-1 heading into the closing stages, but an 85th-minute equaliser from Luka Lochoshvili was followed by a dramatic 95th-minute winner curled into the top corner by substitute Leonardo Sernicola to snatch all three points and secure just their second league win of the season.
The odds are still firmly against Cremonese avoiding relegation from Serie A this term, but Davide Ballardini's men have at least given themselves a glimmer of hope as they now sit 10 points adrift of 17th-placed Spezia with nine games remaining.
Four of Cremonese's final five home matches of the season are against teams currently placed in the bottom half of the table, which bodes well for Ballardini's side in their bid for survival, but their form at the Giovanni Zini Stadium has left a little to be desired as they have accumulated the fewest home points (six) of any team in this season's Serie A.
The Lombardy-based outfit have only won one of their previous 10 meetings with Empoli – a 1-0 Coppa Italia victory in December 2019 – and will need to show their fighting spirit, as they did against Sampdoria, if they wish to come out on top on Friday.
© Reuters
After ending a nine-game winless run with a narrow 1-0 victory over Lecce, Empoli managed to play out a goalless draw away against reigning Scudetto holders AC Milan last weekend.
Although Milan boasted 23 shots and 71% possession, a well-organised and resilient performance helped Paolo Zanetti's side claim a hard-fought point at San Siro – their seventh away league draw this season with only Cremonese having drawn as many on the road.
The Blues appear to be in no danger of being dragged into a relegation scrap as they currently sit 10 points clear of the bottom three, while a top-10 finish remains a possibility with only seven points separating them from Udinese in 10th with nine games left to play.
Zanetti will have been pleased with his side keeping back-to-back clean sheets in their last two matches, and a third will be targeted on Friday against a Cremonese side whom they beat 2-0 in the reverse fixture five months ago; Empoli have not kept three successive Serie A clean sheets since January 2017.
Team News
© Reuters
Cremonese centre-back Vlad Chiriches remains sidelined with a muscle injury, while David Okereke is doubtful with a thigh issue and will be assessed ahead of kickoff.
Ballardini is unlikely to make too many changes, if any, to the side that beat Sampdoria, although Sernicola will be pushing to start ahead of Paolo Ghiglione or Giacomo Quagliata after impressing as a substitute last time out.
As for Empoli, defender Lorenzo Tonelli is available to return after serving a one-match suspension last weekend and will compete with Sebastiano Luperto and Koni De Winter for a place at centre-back.
First-choice goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario remains doubtful following a spell on the sidelines with concussion, but could return between the sticks at the expense of Samuele Perisan.
Striker Roberto Piccoli has started ahead of Martin Satriano in the last two league matches, and he could retain his place in the first XI alongside Francesco Caputo.
Cremonese possible starting lineup:
Carnesecchi; Ferrari, Bianchetti, Lochoshvili; Sernicola, Meite, Castagnetti, Quagliata; Buonaiuto; Dessers, Tsadjout
Empoli possible starting lineup:
Vicario; Ebuehi, De Winter, Luperto, Parisi; Bandinelli, Marin, Fazzini; Baldanzi; Piccoli, Caputo
We say: Cremonese 1-1 Empoli
Cremonese's victory last weekend has given them a timely boost as they embark on a crucial run of fixtures in which they cannot afford to drop points if they wish to avoid an immediate return to Serie B.
Empoli have shown signs of improvement in their last two matches, and although they beat Cremonese on home soil earlier this season, they may have to settle for a share of the spoils on Friday.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Oliver Thomas
