Empoli edged past Carrarese 1-0 at the Stadio dei Marmi on Saturday, moving to eight points after three matches in Serie B's regular season. The visitors took all three points from a contest that rarely threatened to open up. And here's the thing — the match was decided in its final quarter rather than through sustained pressure.
Carrarese made an early change with the break, bringing on Joseph Ceesay for Joseph Ceesay on the hour mark. The hosts tried to find a way back into it after the interval, but Empoli's structure held firm. To be fair, the home side lacked a clear outlet to break the visitors' shape.
The decisive moment arrived in the 74th minute when Bogdan Popov found the net for Empoli. Carrarese pushed for an equaliser and came for a cross he never reached. The visitors saw the game out with composure, and the clean-sheet run came to an end for the home keeper.
Empoli's goalkeeper made five saves to keep the scoreline from widening further. The visitors held 59 per cent possession but registered only two shots on target from seven attempts. By then, Carrarese had already seen their momentum stall.
Carrarese managed five shots on target against three off target, but could not convert the advantage. The hosts completed 349 passes from 435 attempts, while Empoli recorded 539 successful passes from 617. The statistics tell a familiar story — more possession does not always mean more goals.
Carrarese remain bottom of the table with just one point from three matches. Empoli sit eighth with six points and have yet to taste defeat in the opening round. Cup football has its own rules, and this result keeps both sides in the hunt for something more.
