Youssef Maleh put Empoli in front after 24 minutes, scoring with a powerful strike from outside the box, before Khephren Thuram levelled for the struggling hosts after the hour mark with a stunning individual effort from a tight angle
Empoli, who were playing in the competition's quarterfinals for the first time since 2006-07, will face Bologna in a two-legged semifinal in April. Inter Milan and AC Milan will play each other for the other spot in the final
Forward Nicolás González could have given Juventus a perfect start but failed to convert from a brilliant headed pass by Randall Kolo Muani two minutes into the game
sending his attempt from the edge of the area just over
the record 15-times winners showed little threat in the remainder of the first half and the visitors took the lead through Maleh's effort
The Morocco midfielder received a precise low pass before he found some space to unleash a powerful shot inside the left post
Empoli remained disciplined at the back and Ismael Konaté had an excellent chance to double the advantage on a counter-attack just before the break but Juve keeper Mattia Perin did well to keep out his low shot
The 18-year-old forward then hit the post in first-half stoppage time before the ball bounced away
Thiago Motta's men went off for the break accompanied by boos from the home fans after their 70% possession translated into zero shots on target and two attempts overall
Vlahovic was behind Juve's first attempt on goal after 52 minutes from a free kick
Empoli's Junior Sambia wasted a golden chance to make it 2-0 when he concluded a fine solo run with a shot right at Perin
France midfielder Thuram found the equaliser shortly afterwards when he dribbled past the Empoli defence for a smooth finish
Both sides stepped up their efforts in a nail-biting finish, where Vlahovic saw further chances thwarted while Empoli's Christian Kouamé struck just wide and Sambia blasted a good chance over in stoppage time as the game went into a penalty shootout
Serie A strugglers Empoli eliminated Fiorentina on penalties in the last 16 after beating Torino 2-1 in the second round
Winless in 11 consecutive league games, they were thrashed by Atalanta 5-0 at home last weekend and fell into the relegation zone
Empoli beat Juventus 4-2 on penalties to advance to the Coppa Italia semi-finals on Wednesday after a resilient performance helped them hold the defending champions to a 1-1 draw in regular time
Youssef Maleh put Empoli in front after 24 minutes, scoring with a powerful strike from outside the box, before Khephren Thuram levelled for the struggling hosts after the hour mark with a stunning individual effort from a tight angle
Empoli, who were playing in the competition's quarterfinals for the first time since 2006-07, will face Bologna in a two-legged semifinal in April. Inter Milan and AC Milan will play each other for the other spot in the final
Forward Nicolás González could have given Juventus a perfect start but failed to convert from a brilliant headed pass by Randall Kolo Muani two minutes into the game
The Morocco midfielder received a precise low pass before he found some space to unleash a powerful shot inside the left post
Empoli remained disciplined at the back and Ismael Konaté had an excellent chance to double the advantage on a counter-attack just before the break but Juve keeper Mattia Perin did well to keep out his low shot
Empoli's Junior Sambia wasted a golden chance to make it 2-0 when he concluded a fine solo run with a shot right at Perin
France midfielder Thuram found the equaliser shortly afterwards when he dribbled past the Empoli defence for a smooth finish
Both sides stepped up their efforts in a nail-biting finish, where Vlahovic saw further chances thwarted while Empoli's Christian Kouamé struck just wide and Sambia blasted a good chance over in stoppage time as the game went into a penalty shootout
Serie A strugglers Empoli eliminated Fiorentina on penalties in the last 16 after beating Torino 2-1 in the second round
Winless in 11 consecutive league games, they were thrashed by Atalanta 5-0 at home last weekend and fell into the relegation zone
How to watch the Serie A match between Napoli and Empoli
Looking to make it three home wins on the bounce at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, Napoli gear up for Monday's Serie A clash against a struggling Empoli side
With just a handful of games left in the campaign
every point is crucial—especially for both ends of the table
Napoli have been grinding out results without truly hitting top gear
that dip in performance levels has cost them ground in the title race
with defending champions Inter now pulling clear at the summit
Sitting in the bottom three as matchweek 32 kicks off
the Tuscan outfit have seen their early-season promise fade
slipping into the relegation zone after a string of underwhelming displays
Here GOAL brings you everything you need to know about how to watch
In the United States (US), the Serie A match between Napoli and Empoli will be available to watch and stream online live through Paramount+ (sign up for the free 7-day trial)
Check out GOAL's Live Match Centre for updates
If you are abroad, you may need to use a virtual private network (VPN) in order to watch games using your usual streaming service. A VPN, such as NordVPN, allows you to establish a secure connection online when streaming. If you are not sure which VPN to use, check out GOAL's guide to the best VPNs for streaming sport
The Serie A match between Napoli and Empoli will be played at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona in Naples
It will kick off at 11:45 am PT/2:45 pm ET on Monday
Giovanni Di Lorenzo and Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa will miss out for the hosts due to suspension
having picked up yellow cards in the recent draw against Bologna
and Nikita Contini are all sidelined through injury
who missed the Bologna fixture due to illness
remains a doubt and will be assessed ahead of kickoff
Simone Scuffet is expected to deputise again if required
The Belgian striker has not only scored 11 goals this term but also leads Serie A with six match-winners—more than any other player—and will look to extend that tally on Monday
Empoli boss Roberto D’Aversa faces a long injury list
Tino Anjorin will be monitored after a muscle issue
and Youssef Maleh (all knee) remain unavailable
Sebastiano Esposito leads Empoli's scoring charts with eight goals
has also chipped in with two game-winners—double the tally of Esposito in that category
Both forwards will be key if Empoli are to snatch anything in Naples
the Azzurri Empolesi knew they needed to find a victory from somewhere to preserve their top-flight status
However, the omens didn’t look good for the home side, who had failed to win any of the last 12 head-to-heads, with Lazio having their own motivation of battling for a top-four spot
The visitors could not have made a better start to proceedings as they took the lead inside the opening minute when Elseid Hysaj’s chipped ball into the area went over the Empoli defence and found Boulaye Dia
who controlled it well before firing past Devis Vásquez to give Lazio a dream start
Match statsStatsperformThe hosts responded well to the early setback, but their task was made all the more challenging when they lost striker Lorenzo Colombo to a second yellow card six minutes before the interval
This left Empoli fearing the worst for the remainder of the contest
the home side thought they had equalised six minutes after the restart
Junior Sambia’s free-kick into the area was headed onto a Lazio player by Ola Solbakken before falling kindly to Mattia Viti
only for the goal to be ruled out for offside after a VAR check
Empoli needed some inspiration to get back into the contest, and they were given a potential helping hand when Hysaj was shown a second yellow card to level the playing field in the closing stages
Empoli tried their best to find an equaliser late on
but the Biancocelesti held firm and even created some dangerous moments of their own in the final stages
Lazio secured what could prove to be three crucial points in the race for UEFA Champions League qualification
climbing three places to fourth for the time being
two points from safety with only three league games remaining
Flashscore Man of the Match: Boulaye Dia (SS Lazio)
See a summary of the match here
The Derby dell’Arno is overshadowed by absences on both sides
Fiorentina is building momentum and, with 5 games left in the Serie A season, needs to keep it rolling in the ever-tricky Derby dell’Arno against noisy neighbors Empoli; the reverse fixture ended in in a deathly dull scoreless draw all the way back in September
at the Stadio Artemio Franchi in beautiful Firenze
Raffaele Palladino had a hideously complex task to manage this end-of-season run before the trip to Cagliari got extended
Rather than getting 6 days of rest before the final sprint
he’s got to get an XI ready to go for Sunday while bearing in mind the Conference League semifinal trip to Seville to face Real Betis on Thursday
He’s going to have to rotate the squad. The question is to what extent: does he trot out all the backups to keep the key legs fresh for Europe, or will he ask them to gut it out here? Adding another wrinkle is that 3 days after the Betis game, the Viola play at AS Roma in a game that could decide the shape of the table at season’s end
Meting out minutes while preventing exhaustion is always difficult
Palladino’s generally preferred making wholesale changes to the XI rather than swapping out a few players
he’ll have to choose his priorities carefully
and thus give us a glance at how the club values its Serie A position compared to (another) chance at Conference League redemption
Dodô’s sudden diagnosis of appendicitis only muddies the waters further
The striker unexpectedly left the squad for Paris due to a personal emergency and doesn’t have a timetable for return; hopefully everything resolves itself positively for him
will have to cope with his absence for the duration
and Palladino will need to sort out how to replace him
that’s particularly tricky with the glut of games looming
The former pair looked great together against Cagliari but probably won’t start together here; Guðmundsson’s lasted the full 90 minutes just 4 times this year and probably can’t turn in back-to-back full games
occasionally strikerless system from Wednesday is probably out of the question
which is great for Empoli given how bad he’s been; his 0.21 xG/90 is 4th-best in the side but he’s yet to score despite his 2.75 shots per 90
Maybe it’s just small sample size and he’ll snap out of it
but Palladino could also try a 3-4-2-1 to get an extra attacker out there
mitigating the loss in quality up top by increasing quantity
especially with Andrea Colpani finally healthy again
The Derby dell’Arno isn’t the Derby della Lanterna/Madonnina/whichever fiery local clash gets all the headlines
but it’s as unpredictable and passionate as any of them
winning twice and drawing four in their past six meetings
That the good guys haven’t beaten them since 2022 demonstrates just how seriously the noisy neighbors take this fixture
and how badly Fiorentina’s failed to match their intensity of late
even with the host of injuries Roberto D’Aversa has to cope with
including all the guys with strong Viola connections
Given that 5 of the past 6 meetings between these two have ended even after 90 minutes
barely watchable 2-1 win for the good guys
with a confident Beltrán notching for the second game in a row before Colombo equalizes for the bag guys
setting the stage for one of Fiorentina’s defenders to win it; the Viola are second in Serie A in set piece goals
Lazio beat Empoli 1-0 in a tense Serie A match
Dia's early goal secured a crucial victory
Lazio secured a crucial 1-0 victory over Empoli on Sunday
boosting their Champions League aspirations in a thrilling match filled with drama
with both teams finishing the game with ten men
and aftermath of this exciting Serie A encounter
The Biancocelesti took the lead within the first minute
A stunning pass from Castellanos found Hysaj
whose exquisite cross was expertly finished by Boulaye Dia
This early goal set the tone for a tense and eventful match
Empoli's hopes were dealt a significant blow when Lorenzo Colombo received a second yellow card just before halftime
leaving them a man down for the majority of the game
and the game took another turn when Hysaj was also sent off for a second yellow card
but Dia's early strike proved to be the difference
The final whistle brought relief for Lazio
but highlighted a match defined by its intense competitiveness
This victory momentarily lifted Lazio into the Champions League places
Juventus's subsequent match against Bologna will determine whether Lazio maintains its fourth-place spot
The race for Champions League qualification is incredibly tight
with several teams vying for the remaining spots
expressed satisfaction with the team's progress
lamented the early goal and Colombo's dismissal
acknowledging a strong performance despite the loss
Lazio faces a critical match against Juventus next week
The outcome will have significant implications for both clubs' European hopes
This match serves as a reminder of the fierce competition and unpredictable nature of Serie A
Ciro Immobile scored for Lazio against Empoli
this is likely inaccurate and refers to another player or game; Ciro Immobile is the Lazio player commonly reported in match summaries
Despite both teams finishing with ten men following red cards
Lazio managed to secure a victory thanks to an early goal
This victory is crucial for Lazio's Champions League qualification hopes
The three points significantly boost their chances of finishing in a top four position in Serie A
The information provided doesn't specify the exact timing of the red cards
The summary indicates both teams finished the game with ten men
implying they occurred at some point during the match
you can find a more comprehensive match report on reputable sports news websites that cover Serie A
Search for 'Lazio vs Empoli match report' to find detailed coverage
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It was more of a cagey win than an emphatic one
but maybe that’s exactly what Palladino’s trying to do for reasons that go beyond single game outcomes
David de Gea—6: Had a couple frightening passes early on that gave Empoli good opportunities and parried an early Jacopo Fazzini shot into the middle and off Cataldi
The save on Viktor Kovalenko’s late swerving volley looked great but was probably more impressive on replay than real life
Marin Pongračić—4.5: A nightmarish first half from a guy who’d been flying as he constantly lost the ball in dangerous areas
Settled down a bit after the break but this wasn’t a good game
and was solid as a penalty box defender while handling Lorenzo Colombo well enough
although his missed challenge on the goal wasn’t great and he lost Jacopo Fazzini on the disallowed goal earlier
His penchant for hoofing the ball whenever possible
Luca Ranieri—6: Made a couple of big interventions (including a clearance off the line), as per usual, and threw himself around. Showed great effort to track down a long ball and dispossess Ola Solbakken in Empoli’s box, but couldn’t make the final pass. Still, Fiorentina’s lucky to have him as a captain
Robin Gosens—5: Took a real beating as Emmanuel Gyasi repeatedly undercut him on high balls
Maybe that’s why he got ragdolled by Saba Goglichidze on the goal
His elegance on the ball is a joy to behold
Lost the ball a bit cheaply ahead of Empoli’s goal but was otherwise flawless
Danilo Cataldi—6: Served up the Cataldi Special
and generally keeping the engines running smoothly
The most 6-or-7-out-of-10 player since Milan Badelj
Rolando Mandragora—7.5: Involved in the first goal but we’re talking about the second one because holy hell
who knew the Mandrake had that in his locker
Guy’s on an unholy heater right now; it’s insane that he’s the one who’s stepped up in Moise Kean’s absence but all we can do now is sit back
and eat the helpings of crow Roly’s serving up every game
Michael Folorunsho—5.5: Still doesn’t look comfortable as a wingback
but he runs non-stop and always demonstrates total commitment to the team; I can’t really ding him for a few mistakes when he’s putting in a shift in an unfamiliar role
Albert Guðmundsson—6.5: The assist for Adli was the highlight but he had a few tidy moments elsewhere
Often dropped very deep to offer a bit more control
which was helpful slowing down the game but left Beltrán all alone up front
Lucas Beltrán—6: Huffed and puffed and hustled and bustled and didn’t really have much to show for it
staying high up to pin defenders and open space for everyone else
Pietro Comuzzo—5.5: Seems to be over his mid-season case of the wobbles
Also showed a willingness to get forward like Ranieri at times
which hints at an unexpected dimension to his future development
Amir Richardson—5: If Cataldi’s the most 6-or-7-out-of-10 player imaginable
Richardson’s the most 5-out-of-10-but-it’s-almost-a-7-or-8 player imaginable
His elegance and athleticism are unique; if the game ever slows down for him
and made himself a nuisance whenever possible
Still doesn’t look comfortable on that wing
Nicolò Zaniolo—5: Did have one good sequence
bulldozing past a couple defenders and setting up Gosens for a shot
but it almost felt like an accident more than anything else
Returned to his typically ineffectual ways immediately afterwards
Nicolò Fagioli—5: Added another body in the middle to gum up the works
The midfielders have to get forward with these strikers
El Vikingo stayed high up and battled with opposing defenders so Guðmundsson could drop deep
Gosens and Mandragora offer some of that thrust
but there needs to be at least one more runner with this pairing up top; Kean’s such a force of nature that he’s the holdup man and the threat in behind simultaneously
and he wants to find space and get the ball to his feet as well
Part of the reason Fagioli’s looked so bad the past couple of games is that he’s got 2 guys moving into the space between the lines he favors
Overloading an area of the pitch can work but not the way the Viola play
forced to work in spaces that are too tight or drift to the periphery
He’s got the athleticism to make those runs in behind but it’s not how he’s ever played and it’s not like he can just flip a switch and become an off-ball runner after being an on-ball creator his entire career
It’s no coincidence that both Fiorentina goals came from midfielders running into the box
Folorunsho seems perfect for the job as an energy guy and adds the bonus of an aerial outlet that neither of the forwards can offer
I never would’ve thought that Adli could do the job
as he’s always looked more of an on-ball player
but he’s so smart and figured out what the team needed
That’s the problem-solving that top players demonstrate
Fiorentina’s new buildup pattern offers a glimpse at the larger tactical plan
Part of the reason Fiorentina made so many early mistakes in possession was that the buildup shape was very different
and Gosens pushes on to provide another aerial outlet
Palladino always wants two aerial threats up front so the threat of a long ball from the goal kick prevents opponents from pressing too high up
Ranieri as a sneaky runner in behind nearly produced a goal
while Adli’s always been comfortable receiving the ball in deep positions
as anyone who’s ever tried to implement a new system can tell you
What’s more interesting to me is whether this was just a response to not having Kean for this game or if it’s something we’ll see more of regardless
Fiorentina’s got minimal time to work on new things in training
Palladino might’ve taken this as an opportunity to install a new wrinkle that’s actually targeted at Real Betis on Thursday
Treating minor matches as practice for big ones makes sense when there’s no time to rehearse stuff otherwise and I’ll be watching very closely to see if the mister tries this in Seville
but I expected significant squad rotation ahead of this one
Fiorentina had just come off an unexpectedly long trip to Cagliari and was on short rest with a European semifinal later in the week
Even though the Derby dell’Arno’s a big deal and even though the race for continental competition is tighter in Serie A than it’s ever been
I didn’t think these guys could grind out another 90 minutes and would need some rotation to stay fresh
and that was because Fagioli’s still struggling with an illness
The mister clearly values the continuity that players develop from working together regularly
and he thinks that continuity more than balances the potential loss of energy that playing twice a week entails
Maybe the way I think about squad rotation—based off coaches’ statements in the 1990s and 2000s—is outdated and these guys are more than capable of pushing through
It’s also worth noting that Palladino’s overall approach makes this a lot easier
rotation was necessary due to the high physical intensity of his game plans
often orders his teams to defend in a very deep block
and decided that a lower-intensity approach is more sustainable in the long-term
That means that even though he’s relying on guys to last 90 minutes twice a week
there isn’t as much wear and tear on them as there would’ve been in years past
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Boulaye Dia’s goal after 54 seconds was ultimately enough for Lazio to take three precious points from Empoli
as both teams went down to 10 men and the hosts had a goal disallowed
Liam Henderson and Alberto Grassi sat out bans
Pietro Pellegri and Szymon Zurkowski on the treatment table
See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.
It took under 60 seconds to break the deadlock
because Mattia Viti misjudged the flight of the Elseid Hysaj ball over the top
allowing Boulaye Dia to control with his chest and drill home from 12 yards relatively undisturbed
Christos Mandas had his gloves stung by a ferocious Luca Marianucci strike from outside the area
while Taty Castellanos fired wide on the turn
ITALY – MAY 04: Valentin Castellanos of SS Lazio kicks the ball during the Serie match between Empoli and Lazio at Stadio Carlo Castellani on May 04
(Photo by Marco Rosi – SS Lazio/Getty Images)
Empoli went down to 10 men just before half-time
Lorenzo Colombo had just been booked five minutes earlier when he clumsily caught Samuel Gigot chasing down a long ball
so the referee opted for a second yellow card
Lazio almost doubled their lead moments later
as Matteo Guendouzi’s cross went past everyone
forcing Devis Vasquez to fingertip it round the far post
Adam Marusic nodded the resulting corner off target
Empoli threatened after the restart with Ola Solbakken just unable to get enough on the Giuseppe Pezzella cross
The 10 men thought they had equalised when a Junior Sambia free kick was flicked on by Solbakken
took another deflection off Alessio Romagnoli
and Mattia Viti volleyed in from eight yards
EMPOLI, ITALY – MAY 4: Mattia Viti of Empoli FC scores a disallowed goal during the Serie A match between Empoli and SS Lazio at Stadio Carlo Castellani on May 4
Castellanos fired a chest and volley off target
while Pedro drilled inches wide from the edge of the area after a Matias Vecino dummy let the Gustav Isaksen pull-back through
Lazio were also reduced to 10 as Elseid Hysaj received his second yellow card for dragging back Sambia
Marianucci made a desperate tackle from behind on Pedro as he was ready to pull the trigger and Sambia fired straight at Mandas
while in stoppages Vasquez rushed off his line to prevent Isaksen scoring on the counter-attack
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Italy (AP) — Bologna advanced past Empoli to reach its first Italian Cup final in more than half a century on Thursday
Thijs Dallinga’s 87th-minute header earned Bologna a 2-1 win and the team advanced 5-1 on aggregate
Giovanni Fabbian opened the scoring for Bologna with a header seven minutes in
Then Viktor Kovalenko equalized for Empoli in the 30th by turning in a rebound to finish off a counterattack
which eliminated city rival Inter Milan on 4-1 aggregate following a 3-0 win on Wednesday
Bologna last reached the Cup final in 1974
when it claimed its second title in the competition
It's the fourth final for Bologna coach Vincenzo Italiano in three seasons
having guided Fiorentina to the last two Conference League finals and the Cup final in 2023
The Cup winner earns a spot in the Europa League
But Bologna is currently fourth in Serie A and on course to qualify for the Champions League for a second straight season
Bologna beat Serie A leader Inter Milan 1-0 in the Italian league
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Willie Rioli's alleged hostile message to Western Bulldogs defender Bailey Dale is not the first time he has threatened an opposition player
Round 10 teams: Michael Maguire has made a bold call on his returning star
while Latrell Mitchell and Jake Trbojevic are back to make Origin cases
Bulldogs star Jacob Preston's hopes of earning a call-up to Laure Daley's NSW squad have been dashed after a failed trip to the judiciary
“It's a loss that hurts as we created chances and stayed in the game
Games like the one against Como are ones that when you get ahead
and we must stay together and concentrated to move forward
The contact in the area in the 91st minute
I I felt the Como defender's studs and I went down
I don't know exactly what happened with the ball
they could have taken a minute to stop play and to review the decision
I don't think there is a clear line for these sorts of decisions
In the first time we suffered a bit with their dribbling and we struggled a little bit on the ball
In the second half we did better in terms of chances created and chances to get ahead
Then we went behind and we didn't manage to turn it around
We are disappointed as we didn't deserve to lose the game
At times you have a normal game which should and as a draw
and we must keep our heads as it is still in our hands
and I am sad for him as we know he has had a difficult spell
however we want the best for him as he is our teammate and he always works well
He should continue this way and he will certainly get back to his best
Now we must reset to go to Empoli and play well with the same concentration that we have had until today
We need to regather energy as it was a tough game
It will be a key game so we must prepare as best as possible'
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Empoli’s Youssef Maleh (93) celebrates with teammates after scoring against Juventus in a Italian Cup quarterfinal soccer match between Juventus and Empoli at the Allianz Stadium in Turin
Juventus players look on during a penalty shootout in an Italian Cup quarterfinal soccer match between Juventus and Empoli at the Allianz Stadium in Turin
Juventus’ Khephren Thuram (19) scores during an Italian Cup quarterfinal soccer match between Juventus and Empoli at the Allianz Stadium in Turin
Juventus’ Dusan Vlahovic reacts after missing his kick during a penalty shootout in an Italian Cup quarterfinal soccer match between Juventus and Empoli at the Allianz Stadium in Turin
battles for the ball with Juventus’ Khephren Thuram during an Italian Cup quarterfinal soccer match between Juventus and Empoli at the Allianz Stadium in Turin
and Juventus’ Dusan Vlahovic battle for the ball during an Italian Cup quarterfinal soccer match between Juventus and Empoli at the Allianz Stadium in Turin
Italy (AP) — Empoli reached the Italian Cup semifinals for the first time in its history as it surprisingly knocked out holder Juventus on penalties on Wednesday
Khéphren Thuram had scored a stunning equalizer for Juventus following Youssef Maleh’s opener and the match finished 1-1
Dusan Vlahovic blazed his spotkick over and Kenan Yıldız saw his saved as record 15-time champion Juventus crashed out
Empoli had failed to score in its last three games and had lost 4-1 at Juventus in the league earlier this month
it took the lead in the 24th minute when Maleh blasted into the far bottom corner from just outside the area
Empoli should have doubled its lead on the stroke of halftime but the 18-year-old Ismael Konate saw his effort come off the right post
Juventus leveled in the 66th with a quite sensational goal
Thuram looked set to pull the ball back from the byline under pressure from Liam Henderson
but instead he got past the Empoli midfielder with a remarkable bit of skill — sending the ball one way with a backheeled flick and running round the other side of the player — before firing in the equalizer from a tight angle
Lazio moved into Serie A’s Champions League positions yesterday following a 1-0 win over Empoli in a match which finished with both teams reduced to 10 men
Boulaye Dia’s goal just seconds after kick-off pushed Lazio into fourth place
Empoli had to play over half the match a man down after Lorenzo Colombo was sent off in the 39th minute for a poor challenge on Samuel Gigot
Lazio lost Elseid Hysaj to two bookable offences with 14 minutes remaining but easily held out for the win
Lazio’s hold on fourth spot will not last long
They are a point ahead of Juventus who face a key clash at Bologna in the late match
Bologna are a further point back from Lazio in sixth
and Juve’s superior goal difference means Lazio will drop out of the top four regardless of the result at the Stadio Dall’Ara
Lazio host Juve next weekend in another match which could decide who out of six teams will take the two remaining spots in Europe’s elite club competition
Napoli and Inter Milan are well clear of the chasing pack and battling it out for the league title
Atalanta are two points ahead of Lazio in third ahead of their match at rock-bottom Monza
who will be relegated with anything other than a win
three points behind Lazio in seventh and unbeaten in 18 league matches
could briefly take fourth from their local rivals if they beat another Champions League hopeful in Fiorentina
Empoli remain second-from-bottom and two points behind Lecce
Lecce are on a run of 20 matches without a win
their latest reverse a 1-0 defeat by league leaders Napoli on Saturday
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PREVIEW | Napoli vs Empoli - team news
Napoli and Empoli clash this Monday at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona for matchweek 32 of the Serie A
The match will be broadcast live at 19:45 on TNT Sports 1
Napoli have picked up 65 points and currently lie in 2nd position. In their last fixture, Antonio Conte's team shared the spoils 1-1 with Bologna (Serie A 2024/25)
Empoli have 24 points to their name this season and occupy 18th position in the table. Last time out, Roberto D´Aversa's team drew 0-0 against Cagliari (Serie A 2024/25)
The last meeting between the two teams ended with Napoli winning 1-0
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Juventus face Empoli for a second time this month
this time for a spot in the last four of this season's Coppa Italia
Ahead of the 21:00 CET match-up at Allianz Stadium
2 marvelous goals and a whole lot of scruffiness mean that the Viola take another step towards Europe while pushing their noisy neighbors that much closer to relegation
Absent his two best players in Moise Kean and Dodô
Raffaele Palladino opted for continuity: the only change from the XI that beat Cagliari on Wednesday was Yacine Adli
It was a shaky start for the hosts, who struggled to connect passes in deep positions and made a series of mistakes that allowed their guests to pin them deep. That changed in a heartbeat, though, as these things often do, when Fiorentina connected a few passes through the middle
constructing a lovely move that ended with Albert Guðmundsson threading the ball through for Adli
who kept his nerve and finished past Deivis Vásquez for the early lead
The goal was great lots of missed passes and fouls prevented the game from ever attaining a rhythm as neither side could keep the ball for more than 3 or 4 passes before losing it
Luca Ranieri nearly created another by tracking down a long ball and taking it away from Ola Solbakken in the box
but he couldn’t quite find the square pass for Lucas Beltrán to finish
The next time Fiorentina strung a few together
dusting 2 defenders to start the move and then playing in the cross
but nobody will remember that because the strike was a fabulous rovesciata from Rolando Mandragora
who’s playing with a swagger that belies description right now
Si. Mandragora l’ha fatto proprio così. #FiorentinaEmpoli 2-0 pic.twitter.com/3tkDfgAWOm
Safely 2-0 up, the Viola were still scruffier than we might’ve liked; Empoli had a couple glimpses at goal and even got the ball in the net via Jacopo Fazzini, who slipped in front of Pablo Marí to head home a Solbakken cross, but the ball had crossed the end line in the buildup and it was marked off (and as we learned against Inter Milan earlier this year
It’s hard to think that Fiorentina deserved its 2-0 lead on the balance of play
but that’s what taking your chances can do
passed the ball around and put this one to bed
like a competent team that doesn’t hate its own fans
Saba Goglichidze latched onto a ball on the wing
and zipped in a cross that Fazzini slammed home after stepping in front of Folorunsho
whose marking was lax and not helped by some moor poor marking ahead of him
the atmosphere went from festive to anxious
The Viola battled back with a few decent chances—Guðmundsson with a volley
Gosens with a miss after some astonishingly good work from Nicolò Zaniolo—but this was more about managing the scoreline than adding to it
aside from the requisite David de Gea stoppage time save
The triple blast brought the sort of relief that only a derby win over an underdog can elicit
Since the news can’t all be good, AS Roma beat Inter Milan at the San Siro as well, so Fiorentina doesn’t make up any ground on the Giallorossi. Pending results in Juventus-Monza and Parma-Lazio
the good guys could rise all the way up to 6th if the Juvenuts and Aquile lose
as that would put all 3 on 59 points but leave the Viola with the head-to-head tiebreaker over both
This race for European spots is the best thing going right now and could go all the way to the wire
Fiorentina’s got to get its travel plans in order for Thursday’s Conference League semifinal in Seville against Real Betis
There’s a chance that Kean will be ready by then (we still don’t know what’s going on with him but wish him the best) but the rest of the squad will have to push through some tired legs as these games come thick and fast at the end of the season
10 - Since the beginning of February, considering all competitions, among the #SerieA players Rolando Mandragora is the only one with at least 10 goal involvements (six goals and four assists). Amazing.#FiorentinaEmpoli
Yacine Adli and a spectacular Rolando Mandragora bicycle kick allowed Fiorentina to win the Tuscan Derby and push Empoli further towards relegation
losing the semi-final 5-1 on aggregate to Bologna
Pietro Pellegri and Szymon Zurkowski long-term absentees
See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.
David De Gea had his gloves stung by a Giuseppe Pezzella cross-shot and Empoli couldn’t quite bundle the rebound over the line
Fiorentina took the lead instead with a well-worked passing move
Albert Gudmundsson allowing Yacine Adli to spring the offside trap and beat the on-rushing Devis Vasquez
Luca Ranieri robbed Ola Solbakken in the penalty area and his roll across for the Lucas Beltran tap-in was crucially intercepted by the returning Ardian Ismajli
as Rolando Mandragora controlled the Adli cross with his right foot from 10 yards and fired in a wonderful bicycle kick with his left
Empoli had the ball in the net on the stroke of half-time with Jacopo Fazzini’s header
but only after Solbakken had failed to stop it rolling out of play for the assist
Ranieri was booked and will be suspended when Fiorentina face Roma next week in a showdown for European places
Empoli got back into the game when it was rolled across from the right by Goglichidze
Sebastiano Esposito held off a defender to let it run through and Fazzini swept home first-time from 12 yards
Devis Vasquez flew for a great one-handed save on the Gudmundsson curler and Robin Gosens hit the side-netting on a Nicolò Zaniolo assist
Empoli threw everything at Fiorentina in the final minutes
De Gea’s gloves stung by a Viktor Kovalenko scorcher
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fixtures and results for the latest from Serie A
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Bounced from the Coppa Italia by the worst team left in the competition
Welcome to Juventus’ last chapter for the month of February
Mostly because you’re just have a desire to do nothing but shake your head both out of some sort of amazement but mostly frustration
So as much as there are no words for how Juventus went out of the Coppa Italia and who it came against
the Coppa holders after Max Allegri’s last act as manager a season ago
weren’t just eliminated from the 2024-25 edition of the tournament on their home field and heard whistles from the Allianz Stadium crowd early and often
They were bounced from the Coppa Italia by an Empoli team that not only fielded such an incredibly second- or third-choice starting lineup
but proceeded to see the same Tuscan side take the lead and then beat them 4-2 on penalties in which two of Juve’s biggest names
missed PKs in very different kinds of ways
If the loss in the Champions League one week earlier was about as deserved as deserved gets
then this one is right alongside of it and getting all cozy because there’s very little to separate the two
there is this one major difference: PSV Eindhoven are a solid yet unspectacular side
hadn’t won anything since the early December and were coming off a 5-0 dismantling the last time they stepped onto the field
They had more injuries than Juventus — which
Empoli manager Roberto D’Aversa basically white flagged his starting lineup
rolling out a bunch of reserves and primavera players to take on the mighty Juventus
It was that Empoli lineup that saw a Juventus side fail to record a shot on target in the first half
It was that same Empoli same that could have been up 2-0 right before halftime or a minute into the second half if they had been just the slightest bit better with their finishing
The possession was stale and barely had Empoli keeper Devis Vasquez — who had recently been benched by D’Aversa — doing anything before the second-half rush to try and salvage something out of all that mess commenced
And even after Khephren Thuram and his brilliant individual effort to tie the game happened
it’s not like Juventus did much to put Vasquez under serious heat over and over again to force after after save
The penalty shootout — a new element of the one-legged Coppa Italia ties rather than going to extra time — was just the cherry on top
To see Vlahovic blast his shot over the crossbar right out of the gate put Juventus behind the 8-ball in a shootout that suddenly relied on Mattia Perin being heroic in goal to get back in front
with Yildiz’s effort being saved by Vasquex and Luca Marianucci — a 20-year-old defender with all of eight Serie A appearances to his name this season — putting the final nail in Juve’s Coppa Italia coffin
Juventus had what everybody perceived as a relatively smooth path to the Coppa final in Rome
They had two of the worst clubs in Serie A in the round of 16 and quarterfinals
before a potential two-legged tie against Thiago Motta’s former club
That sure looked a whole lot better than the other side of the bracket
They can say they were a part of history Wednesday night in seeing Empoli reach the semifinals of the Coppa Italia for the first time ever
Surely that’s going to be the butt of a whole lot of jokes the rest of what continues to be a completely discouraging 2024-25 season
Sometimes you just have to shake your head because there’s nothing better to do
How to watch the Coppa Italia match between Juventus and Empoli
Defending Coppa Italia champions Juventus will face Empoli in the quarter-finals at the Allianz Stadium on Wednesday
The record 15-time winners registered a comfortable 4-0 victory over Cagliari in the previous round
while Empoli scraped past Fiorentina 4-3 on penalties in order to make it here
The winners of this match will face Bologna in the last-four
GOAL brings you everything you need to know about how to watch
The Coppa Italia match between Juventus and Empoli will be played at the Allianz Stadium in Turin
It will kick off at 12 pm PT / 3 pm ET on Wednesday
Juve head coach Thiago Motta has several injury woes to deal with
Nicolo Savona and Renato Veiga joined Pierre Kalulu in the treatment room
while Bremer and Juan Cabal are ruled out for the rest of the season
Andrea Cambiaso and Douglas Luiz were forced off with their respective issues over the weekend
Randal Kolo Muani could be handed a start ahead of Dusan Vlahovic
The Serie A strugglers have a lengthy injury list including defenders Mattia Viti and Ardian Ismajli
but Tino Anjorin and Jacopo Fazzini have a slight chance of returning as they are back in full training
centre-back Luca Marianucci is back in contention after serving his two-match ban
while manager Roberto D'Aversa may replace Marco Silvestri with Devis Vasquez in goal
Juve were eliminated from the Coppa Italia in painful fashion
as they lost on penalties against Empoli after a 1-1 draw in regulation time (in which Empoli went ahead through Youssef Maleh before Khephren Thuram equalised in the second half for the Bianconeri)
Empoli began the match aggressively and looked to hit Juve on the counter-attack
After a couple of flurries forward from Juventus
in the 6th minute Nico Gonzalez found space on the left and delivered a dangerous ball into the box
but Devis Vasquez was alert to the danger and dealt with it
Randal Kolo Muani broke free down the right and fired in a threatening cross
which none of his team-mates were able to get on the end of
Juventus created an excellent chance: Kolo Muani linked up with Dusan Vlahovic
but the Argentine delayed his effort and was unable to capitalise on the opportunity
In the 20th minute Ismael Konate tried a shot from distance
in an attempt to catch Mattia Perin off guard
Empoli took the lead in the 24th minute: Gonzalez lost possession in a dangerous area
Maleh latched onto Jacopo Bacci’s pass and unleashed a precise right-footed strike from outside the box which nestled into the bottom corner to Perin's right
Juventus tried to react with a free-kick from the edge of the box in the 26th minute
but Teun Koopmeiners' shot smashed against the wall
getting in behind down the right flank and delivering a teasing ball into the middle
but the Empoli defence cleared thanks to some last ditch defending
In the first minute added time at the end of the half
Empoli went close to doubling their lead: after a long clearance by Vasquez
Konate slotted in between the Bianconeri centre-backs and fired left-footed effort goalwards which took a deflection on its way hitting the post to Perin's left
The teams went into the break with Empoli ahead 1-0
The second half started with a great chance for the Tuscan side: as after just a minute
Maleh struck a left-footed shot from outside the box
Juventus came close from a free-kick by Vlahovic: the Serbian's left-footed effort was powerful
Kenan Yildiz went close to equalising: the Bianconeri's number 10 received the ball on the edge of the box
controlled well and let off a right footed shot
The Bianconeri's pressure was rewarded in the 66th minute
when Juventus found the equaliser through Thuram
The Frenchman received the ball in the box
beat Liam Henderson with a fantastic piece of skill and finished with a powerful right-footed strike towards the near post that left Vasquez with no chance
went close to taking the lead through Vlahovic
who connected with a header from a Yildiz cross
but the effort was too central and landed safely in Vasquez's arms
In the closing stages the Bianconeri upped the pressure: in the 85th minute Vlahovic broke free in the box and struck a right-footed effort over the crossbar
Yildiz attempted a shot from the edge of the area in the aftermath of a corner
In the resulting shoot-out Juve were punished for misses by Vlahovic and Yildiz
as Empoli made no mistake with their spot kicks and progress to the semi-final against Bologna
Napoli’s Scott McTominay scores the opening goal during the Serie A soccer match between Napoli and Empoli at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium in Naples
celebrates after scoring his side’s second goal during the Serie A soccer match between Napoli and Empoli at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium in Naples
heads the ball during the Serie A soccer match between Napoli and Empoli at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium in Naples
and Empoli’s Mattia Viti challenge for the ball during the Serie A soccer match between Napoli and Empoli at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium in Naples
Napoli’s Romelu Lukaku gestures during the Serie A soccer match between Napoli and Empoli at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium in Naples
Napoli’s Romelu Lukaku celebrates after scoring during the Serie A soccer match between Napoli and Empoli at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium in Naples
Italy (AP) — A double from Scott McTominay and one from Romelu Lukaku gave Napoli a 3-0 win over Empoli and cut Inter Milan’s lead of Serie A to three points on Monday
Scotland international McTominay has been one of the stars of the season for Napoli and he put the home side ahead after 18 minutes when he gathered the ball just inside the Empoli half
drove forward and unleashed a low drive that whizzed into the corner from 25 meters out
Lukaku made it 2-0 early in the second half when he found space in a crowded box and gave the goalkeeper no chance from close range
McTominay’s closer was a delightful looped header five minutes later
The defeat extended Empoli’s winless run to 17 games and left it second from bottom
equal on points with third-to-last Venezia
Both teams have nine points more than Monza
Aggiornamento Numerazioni Maglie Primavera 1 2024/2025
Copyright © 2024 Lega Nazionale Professionisti Serie A | P
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29.03.2025 | Matchday 30 Serie A Enilive 2024/25 | Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia
The day began with a pre-match live performance by Italian singer-songwriter Gaia
who brought her signature sound to the Sinigaglia Stadium for a special set ahead of Como vs Empoli
setting the tone for another unforgettable matchday by the lake
Como 1907 players took to the pitch for their warm-up wearing Forza Dox shirts
showing their support for Alberto Dossena as he recovers from ACL surgery
Among the guests at the Sinigaglia were UK rappers Aitch and Krept & Konan
and Steve Guinan—all former Premier League players from clubs ranging from Manchester United to West Ham—attending today’s game
Greek forward Tasos Douvikas put the Biancoblù ahead in the second half
scoring his first goal for the club with a clinical finish from a precise cross by Mërgim Vojvoda
Empoli equalised through Kouame in the 75th minute
The match also marked the first start and decisive assist for Mërgim Vojvoda
as well as the return of Sergi Roberto to action
EMPOLI: Vasquez; Goglichidze (70’ Solbakken)
Referee: Mr Maurizio Mariani (Aprilia) Assistant referees: Matteo Passeri (Gubbio)
Davide Imperiale (Genova) Fourth official: Livio Marinelli (Tivoli) VAR/AVAR: Michael Fabbri (Ravenna)
© Copyright 2025 Como 1907 Official Site
On Wednesday night, thousands of fans shuffled into the great palace of Juventus excellence
situated beneath the mighty Northern Italian mountains
despite their favorite club having recently crashed out of both the Supercoppa and Champions League in the first two months of 2025
they donned their black and white striped kits and screamed the Juventus anthem
believing that at least a Coppa Italia trophy could be salvaged from an otherwise let down of a season
A 1-1 draw after 90 minutes that was subsequently lost on penalties
But not to the usual suspects of Italian might such as AC Milan
Juventus was beaten out of the Coppa Italia by Empoli
who are currently facing relegation as they sit in 18th place in Serie A
So what happened to cause the Turin giants to falter over the course of two halves
and they do not allow for much interpretation
While there are some moments within a match that attempt to formulate an explanation of what happened
such as a “if Bremer were there” or “that should have been a foul” type scenarios
In looking at the first half stats for Juventus
they tell a story of a formerly-mighty club that simply does not want it as badly as relegation sides
a story that originally could be used to define last week’s struggle against Cagliari
Juventus — who experimented by having Dusan Vlahovic and Randal Kolo Muani on the pitch at the same time from the start — registered a total of two shots against the apparently mighty Tuscan side
these two shots came from almost 70% possession
While the triangular Thiago Motta system is great for passing accuracy and moving the ball into the opposition’s half
this team simply could not create enough momentum or risk taking outside the box shots to find enough goals to put away what was thought to be a layup of a fixture
Matteo Bonetti of Paramount Plus was quick to weigh in on his X account
stating that Juventus could not mount an attack on a “decimated Empoli team playing kids from the primavera
(You can hear) scattered boos around the stadium.”
It’s finally time to say that Vlahovic’s Juventus tenure has been a failure
which is a widely disappointing thing to accept
The Serbian was hailed as the second coming of Juventus’ offense in the post-CR7 era
the player who could potentially take the squad out of early 2020s mediocrity and compete for titles
But over the course of the last couple of seasons
one that shows the former Fiorentina man going through rough patches
Throw in a scattered post-2022 World Cup or short-lived injury
he had two excellent opportunities to end the stalemate
The first was what seemed like an easy shot with very few members of the young Empoli side getting in his way
but the shot flew past the left post of the goal
The second was a breakaway where the Serbian’s heavy touch
saw what could be a 1-on-1 situation turn into a slowly rolling ball directly into the arms of Empoli keeper Devis Vasquez
and surely a multi-million Euro squad could take down teenagers from Tuscany
But as these things always seem to happen with Vlahovic
Dusan Vlahovic is not a Juventus level player
and unfortunately it’s taken three seasons to see it
The idea that Teun Koopmeiners continues to start for Juventus
despite being arguably the worst signing of the season (with Douglas Luiz right behind him) is baffling
There is only one reasonable explanation for this — and it isn’t the continued faith that a light will switch on and the Dutchman will begin to channel his inner Atalanta talent that won him the Europa League
it must be that Juventus spent so much money on him
they simply have to put him on the pitch over and over again to justify their investment
the idea of having €54.7 million to spend on something is unfathomable
so it’s hard to wrap one’s head around the idea of using something because you paid so much for it
But unlike driving a €90,000 BMW off of a lot and realizing that it’s a lemon
there is very little room for a return policy or to make that money back
without of course waiting until a transfer window
Certainly not in Turin or the Juventus locker room these days
This team lacks a level of leadership that was the bare minimum in the glory days of old
Instead of having the likes of Giorgio Chiellini and Alessandro Del Piero who love the club so deeply that they play for the badge on the front
the current squad is simply a motley crew of young men who like the idea of playing football professionally
and clearly do not have the comprehension of what it means to play for Italy’s most storied team
there is some credit to give to two Juventus players
those being Federico Gatti and Manuel Locatelli
who have always been outspoken about their love and willingness to fight for the team
The issue with them both comes from the fact that they are not yet Juventus veterans
one of the greatest gambles that former manager Max Allegri made during his second spell was to bring Gatti to the club three seasons ago
his heart has never wavered in his love for Juventus
But these two players have combined eight or so years of Juventus experience
and the natural respect that comes with being labelled as a club “veteran”
or in the 2018 case of simply being Cristiano Ronaldo
it’s important to keenly look at the growth of these two men in their mid-twenties
they may be the ones to restore the Juventus mentality that has been lost
The continued story of Kenan Yildiz being benched at the start of recent matches is completely baffling
How could Motta come to the conclusion that one of the most energetic and creative players that Juventus has seen in years should not be part of the black and white vanguard
the Turkish international has scored six goals and added four assists to his tally this season as a winger
but more importantly his ability to be creative and twist the legs of the opposition defense inside out is an incalculable benefit for the club
Almost immediately after Koopmeiners was subbed off for him in the 54th minute
A first half that had two shots and zero on target turned into a second half that had 13 shots and four on target
when it comes to his blocked shot during the penalty shootout
there is no other thing to say than it was a let down
the penalties were over after Vlahovic’s shot
The camera panned to the squad almost immediately after the ball skied over the goal
and viewers could see that the hope had simply left the squad
The momentum to win on penalties had been lost
and being so bad at your job that your manager temporarily replaces you with another employee who maybe knows a bit about what you do
but is not at all someone who does your job on a regular basis
and suddenly you have former Newcastle defender Lloyd Kelly
Kelly’s performance was so bad against Empoli that he was replaced in the 54th minute by Locatelli
who by nature is a defensive midfielder and certainly not a centre back
This whole Lloyd Kelly saga simply does not make sense
While the Juventus back line has been suffering injury after injury
the idea of bringing a Premier League semi-benchwarmer
that Newcastle only trusted to play for 14 of the 30 potential matches he was on the squad for across the Premier League
to Italy’s most decorated club is simply absurd
And it’s made worse that Cristiano Giuntoli and Co
the loss of Bremer — and subsequent injuries to Juan Cabal and Pierre Kalulu — was heartbreaking and showed that Juventus needed to bolster some positions
But is the idea of potentially signing Sandro Tonalli from the Premier League so enticing to the Juventus front office that it’s worth sacrificing the season to overpay for an untested Englishman who doesn’t play for the national team and who’s greatest claim to fame is being part of the 2021-22 Bournemouth squad that was runner-up in the English Championship title race
The post-game commentary from the Juventus skipper was interesting to say the least
Motta told Canale 5 that: “The attitude of the first half was a disgrace
It’s my fault if I’m not able to translate the importance of this game
we made a mistake in the one area you can’t
We have to say sorry to the fans because we hit rock bottom now
You have to deserve things and not expect them
yet there’s some who expect things without giving anything.”
At least Motta is taking the blame for an inability to inspire the squad
But isn’t that the entire point of having a leader
especially one who used to have a winning addiction like Juventus
a tweet went viral saying that Juventus will be playing for five trophies this season
who’s ticket prices were recently slashed due to a lack of interest
Juventus could not beat AC Milan for the Supercoppa
lost to PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League play-off round
and now were beaten by Empoli for a spot in the Coppa Italia semifinals
dreams of the Scudetto were seemingly dashed
Motta needs to bring this squad to a top four spot and qualify for the Champions League next season
or things will go from bad to dire for the Brazilian-Italian
For all the hate that Allegri got in the past few seasons
he was at least able to bring a squad consisting of Filip Kostic
and Adrien Rabiot a piece of Frecciarossa hardware
and get Juventus into the 2024-25 Champions League
But even after big-money summer spending that brought the club Nico Gonzalez
Juventus simply cannot put together a plan to win
though credit is deserved to Thuram and Di Gregorio
Where is the explosiveness that the Juventus fans don’t simply deserve
One trophy a season should be the standard for one of the greatest clubs in the very history of the sport itself