Serie A: Torino Edge Empoli 1-0 as Vlasic's Strike Proves Decisive

Torino secured a hard-fought 1-0 win over Empoli in Serie A, thanks to Nikola Vlasic's strike in the 66th minute. Empoli's wastefulness in front of goal proved costly, as Torino held on for the victory.

Empoli's profligacy in front of goal ultimately proved costly, as Nikola Vlasic capitalized on a loose ball to secure a vital 1-0 win for Torino. The Granata were seeking to build on a promising run of form, having recently beaten Milan and Monza, and drawn 2-2 with Parma, despite being without several key players due to injury.

Vlašić's goal secures the three points for Torino 👊💥#TorinoEmpoli #KeepRacismOUT pic.twitter.com/lyjVieAmfD

— Lega Serie A (@SerieA_EN) March 15, 2025

Torino's injury list was extensive, with Antonio Sanabria, Alieu Njie, Duvan Zapata, Perr Schuurs, and Emirhan Ilkhan all sidelined. Meanwhile, Empoli's own injury woes continued, with a lengthy list of absentees including Youssef Maleh, Tino Anjorin, Ardian Ismajli, Mattia Viti, Ola Solbakken, Nicolas Haas, Szymon Zurkowski, Tyronne Ebuehi, Saba Sazonov, and Pietro Pellegri. Despite their injury struggles, Empoli had managed to reach the Coppa Italia semi-finals, but their Serie A form had been patchy, with just three draws from their previous 13 league fixtures.

The match got off to a dramatic start, as Gvidas Gineitis bravely blocked a Liam Henderson shot with his chin in the opening minutes. Shortly after, Vanja Milinkovic-Savic showcased his quick reflexes by sprinting out to clear the ball, denying Christian Kouame the opportunity to capitalize on a poor back-pass by Guillermo Maripan.

The first half saw both teams create scoring opportunities. Nikola Vlasic tested Empoli goalkeeper Marco Silvestri with a shot from distance, while Emanuel Gyasi forced Milinkovic-Savic to make a save, albeit from a tight angle. Saul Coco also came close, but his effort from a corner kick hit the side-netting. The best chance of the half, however, fell to Junior Sambia, who failed to capitalize on a Giuseppe Pezzella cross from the left, volleying poorly from 12 yards out in the 34th minute.

Giuseppe Pezzella and Ardian Ismajli both had opportunities to put Empoli ahead, but failed to capitalize. Pezzella fired over from the edge of the box, while Ismajli nodded over after Vanja Milinkovic-Savic struggled to deal with a corner. Torino adjusted their tactics for the second half, switching to a three-man defense.

The changes seemed to have little impact, as Empoli continued to create scoring chances. Adam Masina failed to keep his header down from a Cristiano Biraghi corner, and Emanuel Gyasi was again guilty of wastefulness, ballooning a shot over the bar after being sent through on the counter-attack by Christian Kouame. Empoli's inability to capitalize on their opportunities ultimately proved costly.

Torino punished Empoli's wastefulness with a well-taken goal. Nikola Vlasic held off Luca Marianucci to sweep a loose ball into the far bottom corner from the edge of the area, using the inside of his right boot. The goal came as a result of Empoli's failure to clear a long ball forward, and it proved to be the decisive moment in the match.

Torino thought they had scored again in the 81st minute, but Adam Masina's goal was ruled out for offside. The wide man had wandered beyond the last defender as he tapped in a rebound from a Cristiano Biraghi free kick, which had been parried by Marco Silvestri.

Nikola Vlašić is the Panini Player of the Match for #TorinoEmpoli 🏆💥 pic.twitter.com/aAqgtmXj0K

— Lega Serie A (@SerieA_EN) March 15, 2025

In the final moment of the match, Ibrahima Konate unleashed a half-volley that was on target, but Vanja Milinkovic-Savic was well-positioned to make a comfortable save.