Riccardo Saponara strike downs Palermo

Riccardo Saponara scored the only goal of the match as Empoli claimed a 1-0 victory over Palermo in their Serie A meeting in Sicily this evening.

The visitors made a strong start and Manuel Pucciarelli forced Stefano Sorrentino to hold on to his strike, before Marko Livaja dragged an effort wide of the post.

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Livaja threatened again minutes later as his low drive towards the bottom corner was turned behind by Sorrentino.

Palermo soon showed their attacking intentions as Franco Vazquez worked some room outside the box, before curling a shot into the gloves of Lukasz Skorupski.

The game was being played at a frantic pace, and Empoli soon broke quickly, with Saponara wriggling his way into the area and seeing his attempt saved by the legs of the keeper.

Luca Rigoni then had two chances to threaten for the hosts, but on both occasions he could only drag his efforts wide of the far post.

A well-worked free kick from the visitors handed them another scoring chance, but after beating the offside trap, Pucciarelli was denied from point-blank range by Sorrentino.

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The teams headed into the break on level terms, but early in the second half Alberto Gilardino came within inches of scoring, as he raced towards the edge of the box and curled a strike against the bar.

However, it was Empoli who finally broke the deadlock in the 53rd minute as Saponara won a free kick just outside the box, which he curled under the wall and into the bottom corner.

Palermo pressed forward in search of a response and Vasquez drilled a low strike across goal and narrowly wide of the far post, before Aleksandar Trajkovski was denied at close range by Skorupski.

In the final minutes the hosts came close again, but Rigoni and Trajkovski were kept out by a double save from Skorupski, as Empoli held firm to claim all three points.