Three-point trip for Genoa: Empoli ends up knocked out

Empoli-Genoa 1-2

Genoa ends the calendar year in the best possible way, defeating Empoli 2-1 at the 'Castellani' and thus regaining success for the first time since December 1 (2-0, also away, against Udinese). For the Grifone è a fundamental success, which is worth the hooking in the standings just to the Tuscans on 19 points, after 18 days of the maximum Italian championship.

Definitely balanced the first half of the game, with the teams coached by Roberto D'Aversa and Patrick Vieira that seem to play more not to lose than to win: Empoli, however, grows in the minutes before halftime and at 43' comes close to scoring with Cacace, whose powerful conclusion is, however, neutralized by an attentive Leali, who thus preserves the score of parity at the break.

In the resumption, everything changes after not even a minute: defensive blunder by Goglichidze, Vitinha takes advantage and serves the incoming Badelj, for whom è it was a piece of cake to make it 0-1. A few minutes later Empoli has the opportunity for the equalizer: at 51'Johan Vasquez intervenes late on Gyasi, after a long Var check (we arrive at 54') Sebastiano Esposito comes to the penalty spot but gets hypnotized by Leali.

On the wings of enthusiasm, Genoa looked for the double and found it in minute 68: another mistake by Empoli, this time by Grassi, Thorsby set off the counterattack by launching Miretti, the former Juve in turn Ekuban who signed the 0-2 on the scoreboard. The match, however, is not è closed because at 74' Esposito partially makes up for his mistake from the penalty spot by shortening the distance, with a header that sends the ball under the cross.

Empoli tried the final forcing to get to the equalizer, but Genoa held out until the triple whistle: for the Rossoblù they are 9 points in 6 games with Vieira on the bench, while the Azzurri have to deal with their third consecutive defeat, after those against Torino and Atalanta.