Fiorentina faced a surprising setback in Serie A as they lost 2-0 to Empoli at home, failing to exert pressure on the Serie A leaders. The outcome allowed Empoli to climb out of the relegation zone.
The visitors secured their victory with goals from Francesco Caputo and Emmanuel Gyasi, despite Fiorentina having created 18 chances compared to Empoli’s seven. This defeat leaves Fiorentina in fifth place, five points behind league leaders Inter Milan.
Fiorentina also missed the chance to set a club record; a win would have granted them 20 points from the first nine games, marking their highest tally in the era of three points for a win.
Fiorentina’s manager, Vincenzo Italiano, expressed that such defeats can happen in football and acknowledged that Empoli had effectively punished his team. Despite their numerous opportunities, Fiorentina struggled to prevent their opponents’ goals. He commended Empoli for their performance and mentioned that Fiorentina could have significantly improved their position in the league standings.
Empoli took the lead in the 21st minute when Francesco Caputo deftly lifted the ball over Fiorentina’s goalkeeper, Pietro Terracciano, from close range. Caputo thought he had added another goal with a header just before halftime, but it was disallowed due to a handball.
In the 81st minute, substitute Emmanuel Gyasi sealed Empoli’s victory with a well-placed shot down the middle of the goal.
Fiorentina had multiple opportunities in the match, especially during the early stages, with Nicolas Gonzalez and Alfred Duncan coming close to scoring. However, they were thwarted by Empoli’s goalkeeper, Etrit Berisha.
Despite the second-half pressure from Fiorentina, Empoli’s Albanian goalkeeper, Berisha, managed to handle the few shots on target.
Empoli’s triumph elevated them to 17th place in the Serie A standings with seven points, helping them escape the relegation zone. This victory marked their second win in nine games.
In their upcoming match, Empoli will face the sixth-placed Atalanta, while Fiorentina is set to travel to play against Lazio, currently ninth in the league.
