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·20 April 2024

Serie A | Empoli 1-0 Napoli: Partenopei embarrassed

Napoli suffered a humiliating defeat to relegation strugglers Empoli, as Alberto Cerri ended his three-year Serie A goal drought.

The Partenopei needed to get back into the race for Europe following a disappointing 2-2 draw with Frosinone, but Mario Rui and Amir Rrahmani were suspended, with Mathias Olivera injured, plus Pasquale Mazzocchi suffering from flu, so Natan made his first appearance since February 28. The hosts had lost five of the last six without scoring a goal, still missing Tyronne Ebuehi, Ardian Ismajli and Etrit Berisha.

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It took under four minutes to break the deadlock, as Emmanuel Gyasi stood up a cross from the right for the relatively uncontested Alberto Cerri header at the back post, his first Serie A goal since April 17, 2021 when he was playing for Cagliari.

However, Cerri pulled up clutching the back of his right thigh when clearing a corner and was forced to limp off, replaced by M’Baye Niang.

Victor Osimhen juggled the ball with his back to goal and flicked it behind him straight at Elia Caprile, but Empoli missed a sitter on 35 minutes when Niang dribbled past Juan Jesus to roll across for Nicolò Cambiaghi, who incredibly swept it onto the upright from 10 yards.

Cambiaghi missed another opportunity when slipping at the crucial moment on the edge of the box.

After the restart, Matteo Politano cut inside for his left-foot strike deflected just wide, while Andre Frank Zambo Anguissa dribbled into the box and tried to lay it off for Osimhen rather than go for goal himself.

Politano and Kvicha Kvaratskhelia saw their efforts deflected just off target, as Empoli began to sit deeper and deeper in defence.

Caprile showed brave goalkeeping to rush off his line and pluck a through ball off the feet of Osimhen, but Napoli never really threatened to make all their possession count.