Empoli beats Sampdoria 1-0
Five points in the first three races of 2023, topped off with two away games. Empoli makes its debut at the ‘Castellani’ in the new year with a hard-fought victory against Sampdoria. A 1-0 that gives the Tuscans three very heavy points. They fly more than 13 points from the relegation zone and surpass Lecce and Monza in the standings, pairing up with Bologna on 22 points. The match was decided by a header, 10′ into the second half, by Tyronne Ebuehi who scored his first goal in Serie A, and perhaps punished the Sampdoria excessively by sinking them.
In added time, the game went on until the 103rd minute, a goal by Colley was disallowed, scored in the 97th minute, due to a VAR check (handball by Gabbiadini from the ground) amid protests from the blucerchiati. A game finished in ten by the hosts due to Ismajli’s injury who, with the changes completed, was injured in the final and raised the white flag. Sampdoria tried in every way to take advantage of the numerical superiority and, despite the usual super vicar, they succeeded by arriving on a par with Colley beyond the recovery, then canceled by one of the most sensational Vars of recent times. The two fresh exes were on the pitch: Lammers in Sampdoria and Caputo in Empoli who basically swapped places.
On the ‘Castellani’ it pours in flashes: rain cooled by the nearby first snow of Abetone which weighs down the field. Only the goal was missing in the first half, because there was no shortage of opportunities and the goalkeepers didn’t spend a quiet fraction. Audero saves after two minutes on Caputo. The Sampdoria goalkeeper is also good at Marin and his former partner. In the 17th minute Super Vicario’s only flaw: he kicks badly and serves Vieira in midfield, the midfielder enters the area but misses the touch for Lammers. On 28′ also a crossbar for the Ligurians with Leris.
In the end of the first half, a great occasion for Satriano following a cross from Bandinelli, but the shot from the small area is sensationally high. Samp does not give up and after the first fraction they insist on hunting for three points that would represent pure oxygen. The match unlocks on a corner kick: 10′ into the second half, Marin takes a perfect corner and finds Ebuhei. The head of the Nigerian full-back sends the ball flying to the far post, beating Audero. Stankovic replaces three players. Djuricic and Sabiri become dangerous from long range. Well done both goalkeepers, Audero again on Caputo. Sampdoria wakes up late also with Zanoli and then Gabbiadini. But from the 42nd minute Empoli had to suffer with the exit of Ismajli and the numerical inferiority. Vicario gets help from the post to put a shot by Lammers in the corner (second wood for Sampdoria). Then the crazy save by the Empoli goalkeeper on Colley’s header, then the goal disallowed by the Gambian himself. Referee Santoro, after reviewing the images, decides for Gabbiadini’s touch before the defender’s diagonal shot, but the blucerchiati protest until the last moment for a foul by Luperto in the area on the attacker himself. It ends in the 103rd minute with the exultation of Empoli, still unbeaten in 2023. It’s pitch black for Sampdoria.
THE CHRONICLE OF THE MATCH
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