Series A

Serie A | Empoli 0-1 Bologna – Fabbian wins it at the death

Published

4 months ago

1:07 am

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Giovanni Fabbian struck proper on the depth for Bologna away to Empoli in Serie A on Friday night, delivering a merciless blow to Davide Nicola and his aspect, who had regarded set to earn a hard-fought draw towards the Champions League chasers on the Castellani Stadium.

Bologna got here into the tie ranked fourth within the Serie A standings, regardless of having tasted defeat to league leaders Inter final weekend. Thiago Motta had guided the Rossoblu to a six-game successful streak within the league earlier than then,

Empoli, in the meantime, had misplaced two on the spin coming into Friday night’s recreation, shedding to Milan and Cagliari of their final two league video games.

Bologna needed to do with out main goalscorer Joshua Zirkzee on this event. The Dutchman is predicted to be out of motion for 3 to 4 weeks after struggling a set-back final weekend. Jens Odgaard was referred to as as much as substitute him within the beginning line-up.

Although missing in clear and apparent alternatives, it was Bologna who loved the lion’s share of possession within the opening exchanges. Empoli’s Elia Caprile did very properly to maintain the scores degree, producing a superb double-save shortly after an Alexis Saelemaekers nook on the 18th minute.

Kacper Urbanski had one other go from a set-piece for Bologna 10 minutes after, however was additionally denied by Caprile, who had a touch simpler job this time round.

The best probability for both aspect fell to Empoli’s M’Baye Niang with three minutes of normal time within the first half left to play. He was launched by Nicolo Cambiaghi on the half-way line, with each Bologna outfielder camped within the opposition half.

Niang, unopposed, carried the ball proper as much as the sting of the Bologna space, the place he inexplicably did not get a shot away, permitting Sam Beukema again in to make a vital sliding problem, which resulted in an Empoli nook.

So good had been Bologna at maintaining maintain of possession within the opening interval, there wasn’t a single second of harm time performed within the first half.

By the half-time whistle, Bologna ‘keeper Lukasz Skorupski had nonetheless not had a shot land on his goal.

Riccardo Orsolini was launched 10 minutes into the second interval, approaching rather than Dan Ndoye on the Bologna wing.

No matter Nicola had stated to his Empoli gamers throughout the half-time interval had clearly had some form of impact, as the house aspect got here out way more pressing within the press and with way more management of their possession once they had it after the break.

Nonetheless although, there had been no extra pictures on course from both aspect by the seventieth minute of motion.

Bologna’s finest probability of going forward fell to Saelemaekers with slightly below 10 minutes of normal time left to go. Like Niang within the first half, the Belgian broke into house and in direction of the sting of the penalty space.

Saelemaekers was really in a position to get a shot away, although, this time from the left hand aspect on the sting of the field, which was saved out brilliantly by the foot of Caprile.

Credit score the place it’s due, Empoli had been considerably improved within the second half, and regardless of not producing too many alternatives of their very own, they actually didn’t should lose both.

Nevertheless, there was at all times a sense that Bologna could also be able to dealing a sickening blow to the house supporters. That sucker-punch got here within the 94th minute.

Bologna, in all probability of their last assault of the sport at that time, wanted desperately to get the ball into the world for what appeared to be their last shot of the sport. Riccardo Calafiori launched a vemeous effort in direction of Caprile, who was solely in a position to spill for substitute Fabbian to slam dwelling on the rebound.

Consequently, Empoli stay precisely the place they had been heading into the sport on Friday: In seventeenth place with 25 factors type 29 matches. All three groups within the relegation zone will play later this weekend.

Bologna, in the meantime, safe their place within the Champions League spots for an additional weekend, and are at present simply 4 factors behind Juventus in third place.