Empoli will look to consolidate their Serie A status as they take on Verona in the season finale at the Stadio Carlo Castellani on Sunday. The 18th-placed Tuscan club has won consecutive games on the final day and will need to pick up maximum points in three consecutive matches to have a better chance of avoiding relegation against opponents who have yet to escape the threat of relegation.

It’s better late than never for Empoli, who have been riding high in the final rounds of their relegation battle, as evidenced by wins over Parma and relegated Monza. With the win over 16th-placed Parma, Roberto D’Aversa’s side have closed the gap to the top two to just two points behind, while the last win over relegated Juventus saw the Empoli Blues win back-to-back games in the top flight for the first time in two years, following their 3-1 and 2-1 wins over Bologna and Salernitana in May 2023.

Empoli haven't achieved their dream of a Serie A triple crown since May 2019, when the Azzurri beat Fiorentina 1-0, Sampdoria 2-1 and Torino 4-1, but a repeat of six years ago could see them move up the table after Sunday's crucial match. Parma are currently third from the bottom of the table due to a poor head-to-head record against Lecce, who they lost 3-1 in Tuscany after a 1-1 draw in Puglia. They can avoid relegation if the hosts beat Verona and either Lecce or Parma fail to collect maximum points away at Lazio and Atalanta respectively.

While a final-day draw might also suffice, the result would only be in Daversa's favour if Lecce are beaten in the capital and 19th-placed Venezia (two points behind Empoli) fail to beat Champions League-chasing Juventus in Venice.

While Verona's situation is not as perilous as Empoli's, Paolo Zanetti's side are not completely out of the relegation hole as the league comes to an end. Currently, Verona's 15th-placed visitors need just one point to secure another year, extending their six-year run at the division. While recent 1-1 draws with Lecce and in-form Como suggest the Gialloblu are capable of pulling off a draw on Sunday, both games came against the backdrop of an eight-match winless streak dating back to a 1-0 win over Udinese on March 15.

Verona enter the final day of the season having taken just one point from their last three away games since their win at Udinese, including consecutive 1-0 losses to Roma and Inter Milan after a 1-1 draw with Torino. The club's optimistic fans will note that both losses came against Champions League hopefuls and title contenders, and the results were not embarrassing, suggesting that Zanetti's side will not be soft on Sunday against a desperate Empoli side.

Empoli predicted starting lineup:

Vasquez; Marianucci, Ismael, Vitti; Giaci, Henderson, Grassi, Pezzella; Fazzini, Caccace; Esposito

Verona predicted starting lineup:

Montipo; Girardi, Coppola, Valentini; Chachoua, Davidovich, Duda, Bradarik; Suslov; Saar Tenstedt