Udinese ended their winless streak with this 1-0 result away to Empoli thanks to a deflected Rodrigo Becao header, but the hosts had their chances to equalise too.
These were two teams in poor recent form, as both were without a win in six Serie A rounds. Guglielmo Vicario was still out injured with Roberto Piccoli, Nicolò Cambiaghi and Mattia Destro, while the visitors were missing Gerard Deulofeu and Enzo Ebosse for the rest of the season after knee surgery.
Razvan Marin’s free kick was deflected inches wide in the opening moments of the game, while Jaka Bijol’s glancing header flashed past the far post on a corner and Destiny Udogie saw his angled drive cleared off the line by Fabiano Parisi.
Empoli had an extraordinary chance on 39 minutes when Marco Silvestri got a hand to Martin Satriano’s header on the line and Ciccio Caputo somehow failed to turn in the rebound from point-blank range.
Sandi Lovric saw his tap-in deflected over from 10 yards, but on the resulting corner, Rodrigo Becao’s header took a deflection off Sebastiano Luperto to loop into the top corner.
Bijol made a decisive block on Jacopo Fazzini, while Tommaso Baldanzi’s fantastic curler flashed inches past the upright from outside the box and Luperto blasted over from a promising position.
Empoli poured forward, Silvestri using his legs to deny Baldanzi’s low strike, and at the other end Samuele Perisan was alert on Udogie.
Empoli 0-1 Udinese
Becao 54 (U)
Player statistic
| 19' |  |
Jaka Bijol | ||
| Sebastiano Luperto | |
29' | ||
| 45+3' | |
Rodrigo Becão |
| 54' |  |
Rodrigo Becão (Assist: Sandi Lovric) | ||
| 67' | |
Beto | ||
| 73' | |
Sandi Lovric | ||
| Jacopo Fazzini | |
74' |
Match statistic
