Serie A | Udinese 3-0 Empoli: Ekkelenkamp rules | OneFootball

Jurgen Ekkelenkamp was twice in the right place at the right time before a Florian Thauvin header sealed Udinese’s 3-0 win over wasteful Empoli.

The Friulani were fresh off an impressive 1-1 draw away to Napoli, but missed Keinan Davis, Isaak Touré and Maduka Okoye. Empoli, on the other hand, were sliding down into the danger zone after just two points in the last nine rounds. Luca Marianucci started a two-match ban, with Tino Anjorin, Ardian Ismajli, Mattia Viti, Jacopo Fazzini, Ola Solbakken, Nicolas Haas, Pietro Pellegri and Saba Sazonov injured.

See how it unfolded on the Liveblog.

Lorenzo Lucca’s acrobatic scissor-kick volley was off target in the opening minutes from an Arthur Atta pull-back, while Lorenzo Colombo had two attempts charged down and Emmanuel Gyasi’s angled drive was well smothered.

Christian Kouame should’ve done better when drilling wide on a Liam Henderson counter-attack, while Marco Silvestri made a splendid save against his former club on the Sandi Lovric curler.

Udinese took the lead on the resulting corner, as Jurgen Ekkelenkamp at full stretch redirected the wayward Atta effort into the bottom corner.

It remained surprisingly open, Kouame sliding in to push the Giuseppe Pezzella assist into the arms of the goalkeeper, then firing wide from a very promising position on another Henderson assist.

epa11900904 Udinese’s Sandi Lovric (L) and Empoli’s Lorenzo Colombo in action during the Italian Serie A soccer match Udinese Calcio against Empoli FC in Udine, Italy, 16 February 2025. EPA-EFE/GABRIELE MENIS

Straight after the restart, Florian Thauvin ran onto a through ball, but lost his balance under pressure and couldn’t finish the move.

Moments later, Atta pulled back from the by-line and a desperate Mattia De Sciglio block prevented the Thauvin tap-in.

Empoli also wasted a golden opportunity to equalise, Youssouf Maleh incredibly failing to nod in a Kouame cross from point-blank range on a corner.

Lucca clipped the outside of the upright from six yards after a deflected pull-back, while at the other end Razvan Sava needed a double reaction save on Colombo’s angled drive and the Gyasi follow-up.

Udinese doubled their lead when Lucca’s strike was only parried into the path of Ekkelenkamp for his second of the game.

Thauvin finally got his goal in the last minute of normal time, sneaking between the centre-backs to nod in the Martin Payero cross whipped in from the right.

Thauvin could’ve had a brace too in stoppages, denied by Silvestri from a tricky angle.

Udinese 3-0 Empoli

Ekkelenkamp 19, 65 (U), Thauvin 90 (U)