Serie A | Empoli 3-4 Sassuolo: Berardi seals seven-goal thriller

Domenico Berardi scored twice late on to give Sassuolo the points in a genuine seven-goal thriller, as Empoli fought to the bitter end.

The Tuscans were fresh off a shock victory away to Napoli, but still missing Tommaso Baldanzi and Giuseppe Pezzella. The Neroverdi were without a win in six rounds, while Agustin Alvarez and Pedro Obiang remained on the treatment table.

Mattia Viti struggled to control a loose ball in the penalty area and was robbed by Nicolò Cambiaghi from behind, leading to a spot-kick that was converted hard and low by Francesco Caputo.

Sassuolo equalised from a corner kick, Andrea Pinamonti rising above the crowd for the glancing header into the far bottom corner.

Etrit Berisha was alert getting a hand to the Kristian Thorstvedt flick that nutmegged a defender from close range, but was beaten when Matheus Henrique was allowed a free header on a Jeremy Toljan cross from the right. It was a fine way for the midfielder to mark his comeback from injury.

It remained wide open and Jacopo Fazzini got Empoli back on level terms with his first ever Serie A goal. He rode a tackle, the referee also did well to play the advantage on an earlier foul, and the finish from outside the box seemed to take a deflection to wrong-foot Andrea Consigli.

The Sassuolo goalkeeper beat away a Filippo Ranocchia strike from distance, then Caputo was too generous laying it off for Cambiaghi rather than going for goal from 12 yards, allowing Toljan to make the block.

Viti made a brave sliding tackle to prevent Cambiaghi going clear and seemed to suffer a thigh strain in the process, limping off absolutely distraught at yet another injury.

Sassuolo really should’ve scored on 57 minutes when a corner was flicked on to the back post, but Ruan Tressoldi somehow nodded wide from point-blank range.

The referee awarded a free kick for Matteo Cancellieri’s foul on Toljan, but VAR showed that the contact was right on the line and therefore a penalty, as that is part of the box. Berardi therefore got to convert the spot-kick and restore Sassuolo’s lead.

Consigli had to push the deflected Cancellieri cross over the bar, while Berardi’s stunning curler from the edge of the area bounced off the far post.

Instead, Empoli got back on level terms yet again with a chaotic move. Emmanuel Gyasi came sliding in and fired the finish onto the crossbar, then Viktor Kovalenko’s cross-shot was deflected in off Matias Vina from close range.

It still wasn’t over, as in stoppages Nedim Bajrami’s free kick hit the wall and a follow-up found Berardi on the half-volley to score from a tricky angle.

There were still more saves at either end on Bajrami and Ardian Ismajli.

Empoli 3-4 Sassuolo

Caputo pen 4 (E), Pinamonti 12 (S), Matheus Henrique 22 (S), Fazzini 30 (E), Berardi pen 66, 92 (S), Kovalenko 86 (E)