Empoli have succumbed to a 1-0 defeat against Atalanta BC in Thursday night's Serie A clash at the Stadio Carlo Castellani.
The visitors were quickest off the starting blocks as they weighed in with some probing attacks and, in the fourth minute, Alejandro Gomez spotted the opposition goalkeeper off his line and let rip with a long-range strike that went just wide.
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Edy Reja's charges continued to threaten as the game went on, Mauricio Pinilla latching on to a cross and letting rip with a snap shot from outside of the box which sailed wide of the post.
Gomez and Pinilla combined once again in the 25th minute, as the former clipped a neat ball into the path of the latter, but the resulting header once again failed to go the right side of the woodwork.
Just after the half-hour mark, however, Atalanta succeeded in breaking the deadlock, with Rafael Toloi leaping highest to connect with a cross from Maximiliano Moralez and planting a close-range header into the bottom right corner past Lukasz Skorupski.
Ronaldo then came within a whisker of pulling Empoli level on the stroke of half time when his free kick from around 30 yards out sailed just wide of the right post.
It would prove a rare chance for the hosts as Atalanta continued to dominate proceedings on the pitch and attacks in the final third, with only a fine reflex save from Skorupski in the 73rd minute stopping Boukary Drame from doubling his side's lead.
Ultimately the visitors were able to see the game out rather comfortably and clinch all three points, which saw them rise to 10th in the Serie A table, while Empoli remain in 14th place.
Giuseppe Labellarte
