Survival battle goes down to the wire with relegation playoff still a possibility

The fight for Serie A survival involves three sides with destiny in their own hands on the last day of the season and while the worst placed team, Empoli, know a win over AS Roma would guarantee safety, a dreaded playoff is still on the cards.

Salernitana and Sassuolo have already been condemned to Serie B football next season and defeat for Empoli would mean a return to the second tier after three seasons in the top flight.

Empoli, currently 18th in the standings and in the relegation zone, host Roma on Sunday at the same time that the other two sides still in danger, Frosinone and Udinese, face each other.

Empoli have 33 points, one behind Udinese and two adrift of Frosinone, and they at least have the comfort of knowing that three points would be enough to avoid the drop. They face a Roma side already guaranteed to finish sixth.

Roma's form has dropped in recent weeks, with one win in their last five league games, and Empoli will hope to take advantage of hosting a team with nothing left to play for.

Davide Nicola is Empoli's third manager this season and the Tuscan club will hope he can pull off another survival miracle as he has done previously with the likes of Salernitana, Torino, Genoa and Crotone.

Nicola will be without the suspended midfielder Alberto Grassi, while Roma boss Daniele De Rossi won't have Romelu Lukaku or Leandro Paredes available, both also suspended.

While a win guarantees safety and defeat means relegation, a draw for Empoli would leave them hoping for an Udinese defeat by Frosinone, which is the only combination of results that would lead to a relegation playoff.

If the sides in 17th and 18th place finish level on points, then neither head-to-head advantage or goal difference are taken into account.