Empoli’s aspirations of clinching consecutive league victories for the inaugural time this campaign ended in despair, as the Azzurri endured a 1-0 defeat against Torino at the Stadio Carlo Castellani.
Empoli entered the encounter in troubling shape when performing at home, with the Azzurri securing only one win from their seven league matches while enjoying home-field advantage this term (D4, L2). Yet the hosts began positively here, controlling possession in the initial 20 minutes, though they found it challenging to penetrate the steadfast Torino defence. The away side’s backline was ultimately breached midway through the half when Tino Anjorin obtained the ball just inside the penalty box, before curling an attempt toward the far right corner, but Vanja Milinković-Savić got low brilliantly to parry the shot.
The visitors settled into the match as the half progressed, nearly scoring twice before halftime with headers within the penalty area. The first instance occurred when Samuele Ricci flicked Borna Sosa’s cross toward the centre of the net, only for Devis Vásquez to produce the save. The second chance came after a cross deflected to Antonio Sanabria, who aimed for the top-right corner, but once more the Colombian goalkeeper thwarted the effort.
Roberto D’Aversa’s squad began the second period strongly, creating arguably the finest opportunity of the contest 10 minutes post-restart, as Liberato Cacace outpaced a Torino defender to the ball within the six-yard box, only to slice his left-footed attempt wide of the near left post. The Azzurri paid the price for not converting their opportunities, falling behind with fewer than 20 minutes remaining. The breakthrough occurred after Che Adams controlled the ball just inside the Empoli half, spotting Vásquez off his line and subsequently chipping the Colombian goalkeeper with an extraordinary strike to claim his fourth Serie A goal this campaign.
The strike appeared to completely deflate the hosts, with Torino dominating proceedings during the closing phases of the contest. This outcome means Torino are now tied on points with Empoli, with the Bull currently positioned seven points above Serie A’s bottom three before the remainder of the weekend’s matches. Conversely, Empoli squandered the chance to edge closer to the European places, as the gap now sits at eight points, with several teams ahead holding one or more games in hand.
