Just one point separates Roma and Empoli in this season's Serie A. They will meet at the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday night, with both sides looking for their first win of the 2023-34 season. Although José Mourinho's side lost to a ten-man Milan before International Day, their Tuscan opponents have failed to score in three consecutive defeats.
Despite bringing in high-profile loan signing Romelu Lukaku, the striker failed to lift Roma's performance in the last round of Serie A matches, as he only played a supporting role in the side's home defeat against Milan. Although they played with a one-man advantage for half an hour after Fikayo Tomori was sent off, Roma didn't find a way to break through until extra time in the second half, when Leonardo Spinazzola scored the home side's only goal as the game ended in a 2-1 loss.
Roma have won their first two Serie A matches in each of the previous two seasons under José Mourinho, but a slow start has undermined their aim as they seek to break their streak of two consecutive sixth-placed seasons and move into the top four. Mourinho may have some concerns about next week's Europa League opener, in which they take on Moldova's Cherif Tiraspol, but improving Roma's performance in the domestic competition will be his priority.
Having performed well at home last season, Roma can't afford to let more games cost them points on Sunday as they sit in the bottom three of this season's Serie A standings, putting a lot of expectations on the back of Romelu Lukaku, who has been brought into the city with hopes of being a savior. With Paulo Dybala plagued by injuries and Tammy Abraham out for a long period of time, the former Inter player may have been in trouble, but recent history suggests that Roma's chances of beating Empoli are very high: they haven't lost to the Tuscan's in Serie A since February 2007, and have won the last seven encounters, scoring at least two goals in each.
Since their last win over Roma in the league, Empoli have lost 11 games and only drawn three times. In fact, they have never won an away game at Roma, which is their worst record against any team, and they have never once kept a clean sheet. As if that poor record wasn't enough to make them feel less confident as they head to the Stadio Olimpico this weekend, this Azzurri side are the only team in Serie A this season to have neither points nor goals. Unless something changes in Rome, they will join Mantova (1964-65) and Padova (1994-95) as the only teams in the history of Italy's top flight to have lost their first four matches without scoring a goal.
As a result, manager Paolo Zanetti is under pressure to improve his game, having seen his side beaten by Verona, Monza and Juventus before International Day, in addition to being knocked out of Serie B side Cittadella in the middle. Empoli won just two games away from home last season, so taking away points in the capital will be a tough task - but things don't improve for Zanetti and co. next week, when Inter are the visitors to the Stadio Castellani.
Along with long-term absentees Tammy Abraham and Marash Kumbura, Roma manager Jose Mourinho will be without his captain Lorenzo Pellegrini on Sunday night, and possibly also without Gianluca Mancini and Renato Sanchez. Both Pellegrini and Mancini have been injured on international duty, so youngster Edoardo Bowe could replace the former in midfield, while Evan Ndika could play in the latter's absence in what would be his first start since signing in the summer.
Empoli, on the other hand, have only one notable drawback, and that is an ankle injury to Ilia Capriles that is expected to sideline him for another month. The visitors have been unable to get going in their last-minute attack, with veteran Francesco Caputo scoring their only goal in the Coppa Italia loss against Cittadella.
SCORE PREDICTION: Roma 2-1 Empoli Empoli will finally break their goal drought, but the scoreline could continue to escape their grasp; Roma's fortunes could change dramatically if they can pair Romelu Lukaku and Dybala together for consistent play.
