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Ighli Vannucchi's free kick proved enough to defeat a disappointing Lazio, who ended the game with 10 men.
Last season's surprise packages qualified for Europe, but this time around it was a relegation battle. Empoli were unfortunate to fall 1-0 at Inter last week with some debatable refereeing decisions and a late penalty save on Luca Saudati, plus had Antonio Busce' and Francesco Pratali sidelined, but Sebastian Giovinco was on the road to fitness again.
Lazio welcomed back January signing Rolando Bianchi from a ban, though Gaby Mudingayi was suspended and the long injury list still included Mourad Meghni, Fabio Firmani, Luciano Zauri, Lorenzo De Silvestri, Mobido Diakhite and Massimo Mutarelli.
It is always an emotional return to the Castellani for former Empoli hero Tommaso Rocchi, who scored 28 goals in three seasons for the club before joining Lazio in September 2004. Empoli hadn't won this fixture since 1997.
Sebastian Giovinco returned from injury and was fielded in a more advanced Trequartista role, drilling wide with his left foot after four minutes.
Ighli Vannucchi broke the deadlock soon after, the captain curling a perfect free kick through the defensive wall in at the near post, but the Lazio players split apart and allowed the ball through.
Vannucchi got another free kick through moments later, but this time Marco Ballotta was ready. The Biancocelesti finally reacted, Goran Pandev firing well over from a Tommaso Rocchi assist. Aleksander Kolarov smashed a thunderbolt inches past the post and Rocchi just failed to get on the end of the ball, well worked by Cristian Ledesma and Massimo Mutarelli.
Pandev ran on to Stefano Mauri's assist and flashed his left-foot finish across the face of goal, but at the other end Nicola Pozzi nodde over.
Bassi tipped a deflected Rocchi strike out for a corner after the restart, then Pandev was too selfish as he went for glory and saw it charged down rather than passing to the unmarked Rocchi.
Delio Rossi introduced Bianchi for another former Manchester City player, Ousmane Dabo, though defender Kolarov was their most dangerous figure with an extraordinary free kick from 30 metres that shaved a coat of paint off the post. He had several more set-pieces test Bassi in the Empoli net.
Empoli wasted a promising counter with Claudio Marchisio and Luca Antonini, but Lazio ended the game with 10 men as Kolarov was shown a straight red card for a two-footed sliding tackle on Marianini.
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