An inspired Roma take on strugglers Empoli hoping to join Internazionale at the top of the Serie A standings by Sunday evening.

With leaders Inter travelling to third-placed Juventus, the Giallorossi have an early opportunity to leap to the summit, provided they get a favourable result in Turin.

Confidence is soaring in the Roma camp as they head into this weekend's clash at third-bottom Empoli on the back of a win in the Eternal City derby against Lazio in midweek.

The Giallorossi, who edged AC Milan on Sunday with a Mirko Vucinic goal, followed that up with a 3-2 victory against their city rivals to remain just three points behind Inter and second in the standings.

Tommaso Rocchi fired Lazio into an early lead but the Giallorossi hit back courtesy of Vucinic, who was playing in place of the injured captain Francesco Totti.

Alessandro Mancini then put Roma 2-1 up before half-time and Simone Perrotta struck on 66 minutes for a two-goal cushion.

Cristian Ledesma finished the scoring with a free-kick 21 minutes from the end but Roma held on.

"This is an important victory," admitted Roma captain Francesco Totti. "Not only because it was the derby but because it allows us to remain close to Inter in the standings."

Totti, who is Roma's top scorer with seven goals, will again be sidelined by an ankle injury this weekend. However, he is hoping his team can once again deliver without him.

"Unfortunately, I don't know when I will return to play," he said. "But my team played very well against Lazio and I'm sure they will continue to do well.

"But let's not forget that the Scudetti are won by beating smaller teams."

Roma go into the encounter in Tuscany looking for their third consecutive win and will once again be relying on in-form striker Vucinic to come up with the goods.

Opponents Empoli will be eager to remind Roma that ever since Luciano Spalletti took over the reins at the capital club, they have lost all of their encounters at the Carlo Castellani stadium.

The Azzurri have sprung some surprises this campaign, by beating Milan and Palermo, but have suffered a dip in form of late.

Defeats against Atalanta and Juventus saw Empoli drop into the relegation zone.

"I want a reaction from my players, starting on Sunday against Roma," said Empoli coach Gigi Cagni.

Empoli will have to show a drastic improvement, especially in front of goal. The Azzurri have the worst strike force in the league with just five goals scored in 10 games.

To complicate matters, Empoli will have to do without seven injured players, including goalkeeper Luca Balli, who sustained a muscular injury in Wednesday's 3-0 defeat to Juve.

Balli will be replaced by Davide Bassi on goal.

The visitors will be without midfielder Daniele De Rossi, who serves a one-match ban.