Serie A: Empoli Dominates Verona 4-1

Empoli's dominant performance secured a crucial win over relegation-battling Verona, strengthening their position in Serie A.

Empoli delivered a crushing blow to Verona's survival hopes, thrashing them 4-1 at the Bentegodi Stadium. Sebastiano Esposito's brace was the highlight of a dominant performance by Empoli, who took full advantage of Verona's vulnerabilities. This match was a critical relegation battle, particularly for the hosts, who had been struggling mightily, losing six of their previous seven games.

Verona's woes were compounded by a lengthy injury list, which included key players Diego Coppola, Ondrej Duda, Juan Manuel Cruz, and Martin Frese, all of whom were unavailable due to suspension or injury. Despite their own injury concerns, Empoli was able to field a strong lineup, having recently knocked Fiorentina out of the Coppa Italia on penalties. However, Empoli's own injury list was not insignificant, with Nicolas Haas, Alberto Grassi, Tyronne Ebuehi, Jacopo Fazzini, Szymon Zurkowski, and Saba Sazonov all currently sidelined.

Empoli's third goal had a hint of good fortune, as Liberato Cacace's low-driven shot took a decisive deflection off Jackson Tchatchoua, looping the ball over the outstretched arm of goalkeeper Alessandro Montipò. Despite the element of luck, the goal still marked a milestone for Cacace, as it counted as his first-ever Serie A goal.

Verona, however, refused to give up, and they managed to pull a goal back to reduce the deficit. Tchatchoua made a positive impact down the right flank, delivering a precise low cross into the box. Casper Tengstedt was on hand to sweep the ball in first-time, expertly directing his shot to the near bottom corner, beyond the reach of the Empoli goalkeeper.

Empoli goalkeeper Devis Vasquez was forced to make a sharp reflex save at the near post, as Toma Suslov's powerful shot threatened to reduce the deficit. However, Empoli quickly restored their three-goal cushion, courtesy of a clever finish from Francesco Colombo. After an initial free kick was blocked by the wall, the ball rebounded to Colombo, who expertly controlled it with his chest before unleashing a precise half-volley from outside the area.

The match continued to ebb and flow, with both teams creating scoring opportunities. Empoli's Anjorin led a counterattack from a Verona corner, beating several defenders before going down in a one-on-one situation with goalkeeper Alessandro Montipò. Initially, the referee awarded a penalty, but the decision was overturned after a VAR review, as replays showed that Montipò had managed to get his hands to the ball. Anjorin tried his luck again on the counter, curling a shot just wide of the far top corner. Meanwhile, Emmanuel Gyasi missed a gilt-edged opportunity, failing to connect with a Colombo cross from just six yards out.

Both teams continued to push for more goals, with Verona threatening to reduce the deficit. Daniel Mosquera's angled drive skimmed the upright after Abdou Harroui had cleverly nutmegged Mattia Viti. Despite the missed opportunities, Empoli remained in control, ultimately running out 4-1 winners.

The match continued to see both teams create scoring opportunities, with Emmanuel Ekong's curling effort narrowly missing the target, sailing just wide of the far top corner. Verona's Daniel Mosquera also had a gilt-edged chance, but he prodded the ball over the bar from close range after Empoli goalkeeper Devis Vasquez had flapped at a Darko Lazovic cross.

In the dying embers of the match, Empoli pushed for a fifth goal, but Verona goalkeeper Alessandro Montipò made a spectacular save to deny Luca Marianucci's screamer, palming the ball out of the top corner. In another heart-stopping moment, Daniele Ghilardi bravely charged down a Francesco Colombo tap-in from point-blank range, using his face to block the shot and prevent a certain goal.