Parma vs Empoli preview - Sarri targets upturn in away form

Empoli coach Maurizio Sarri expects his players to end their dismal run away from home when they meet bottom side Parma on Sunday at the Stadio Ennio Tardini.

Six months have passed since Empoli last won on the road, and the Tuscan outfit have collected just three points - all from draws - away from home since returning to Italy's top flight earlier this year.

They lie 16th in the Serie A standings, just two points clear of the drop zone, b and Sarri knows his team must start winning on the road to have a realistic chance of staying up.

"It's imperative that we start winning on the road," Sarri told the Italian media. "Three points out of a possible 15 is just not good enough.

"We need to play better and show our quality away from home.

"I hope our good performance against Lazio last time out will give my players the necessary confidence to win on Sunday."

A 2-1 triumph over Lazio in the previous round was Empoli's second victory of the campaign and halted a three-match losing streak.

Empoli can expect a battle against a Parma side that have endured a dismal season so far.

The Ducale club slumped to their worst ever Serie A defeat - a 7-0 humiliation at the hands of Juventus - last time out.

The outcome in Turin was Parma's ninth defeat of the season and dropped the Gialloblu four points adrift of safety with just six points from 11 games.

Parma have the leakiest back line in the competition with 28 goals conceded.

The Gialloblu, coached by Roberto Donadoni, suffered a blow during the international break with Algerian striker Abdelkader Ghezzal ruled out until the new year after sustaining a fractured fibula in his right leg in training. He is one of seven Parma players out injured.

The visitors are without defender Lorenzo Tonelli, who must serve a one-match ban this weekend.