Empoli and Palermo confirmed their crises by playing an uninspiring 0-0 draw at the Castellani.
These were the worst-performing sides, picking up five and six points respectively, since the midway stage of the season. In his second game at the helm, Walter Novellino transformed Palermo into a 4-1-4-1 system with Franco Vazquez as the centre-forward, while Ivaylo Chochev was suspended.
The hosts had Lorenzo Tonelli back from a three-match ban.
Vazquez saw his shot deflected over and Robin Quaison only glanced his header on an Aleksandar Trajkovski cross, while Giuseppe Pezzella got away with an error inside the box when Gaston Brugman intercepted the Manuel Pucciarelli assist.
Pucciarelli nodded a Mario Rui cross over at the end of a well-worked move, while Stefano Sorrentino smothered a Leandro Paredes swerving strike from a huge distance.
Tonelli was decisive to stop Trajkovski getting a shot away as he ran on to a splendid Quaison ball over the top, while another Vazquez effort from the edge of the box was deflected wide.
Empoli lost Vincent Laurini to a muscular problem before the break and Sinisa Andelkovic was decisive to stop Saponara making the most of a poor clearance.
Piotr Zielinski’s fierce strike was charged down in the box, but both teams
continued to ruin promising build-up by picking the wrong final pass. Mario Rui’s cross took a double ricochet in the box, but Sorrentino was ready for the loose ball.
Trajkovski’s free kick was curled just over the bar and Massimo Maccarone’s header looped on to the roof of the net, while Lukasz Skorupski blocked a Vazquez assist from the by-line.
Palermo really should’ve scored on 78 minutes when a free kick was knocked down, but Aljaz Struna shinned his volley over from 10 yards relatively undisturbed.
These were the worst-performing sides, picking up five and six points respectively, since the midway stage of the season. In his second game at the helm, Walter Novellino transformed Palermo into a 4-1-4-1 system with Franco Vazquez as the centre-forward, while Ivaylo Chochev was suspended.
The hosts had Lorenzo Tonelli back from a three-match ban.
Vazquez saw his shot deflected over and Robin Quaison only glanced his header on an Aleksandar Trajkovski cross, while Giuseppe Pezzella got away with an error inside the box when Gaston Brugman intercepted the Manuel Pucciarelli assist.
Pucciarelli nodded a Mario Rui cross over at the end of a well-worked move, while Stefano Sorrentino smothered a Leandro Paredes swerving strike from a huge distance.
Tonelli was decisive to stop Trajkovski getting a shot away as he ran on to a splendid Quaison ball over the top, while another Vazquez effort from the edge of the box was deflected wide.
Empoli lost Vincent Laurini to a muscular problem before the break and Sinisa Andelkovic was decisive to stop Saponara making the most of a poor clearance.
Piotr Zielinski’s fierce strike was charged down in the box, but both teams
continued to ruin promising build-up by picking the wrong final pass. Mario Rui’s cross took a double ricochet in the box, but Sorrentino was ready for the loose ball.
Trajkovski’s free kick was curled just over the bar and Massimo Maccarone’s header looped on to the roof of the net, while Lukasz Skorupski blocked a Vazquez assist from the by-line.
Palermo really should’ve scored on 78 minutes when a free kick was knocked down, but Aljaz Struna shinned his volley over from 10 yards relatively undisturbed.
Empoli: Skorupski; Laurini (Bittante 43), Costa, Tonelli, Mario Rui; Zielinski (Buchel 63), Paredes, Croce; Saponara; Pucciarelli, Maccarone (Mchedlidze 85)
Palermo: Sorrentino; Struna, Gonzalez, Andelkovic, Pezzella (Lazaar 46); Jajalo; Quaison (Bentivegna 80), Hiljemark, Brugman (Maresca 85), Trajkovski; Vazquez
Ref: Massa
