Bastoni scores late as Empoli win at strugglers Sassuolo
Substitute Simone Bastoni scored deep in stoppage time to help Empoli snatch a 3-2 win at Sassuolo yesterday in a Serie A relegation fight and continue their positive run under Davide Nicola.
Bastoni was brought on with 10 minutes remaining and headed in a rare — and important — goal in the fourth minute of added time.
Empoli were one spot above last place when Nicola replaced Aurelio Andreazzoli as coach last month but have not lost a game since, winning three of their six matches to move up to 13th, five points above the relegation zone.
Nicola has a reputation as an escape specialist, having helped Crotone and Salernitana avoid relegation in recent seasons.
Sassuolo, in contrast, are in free fall and have now lost five of their past six matches to leave them level on points with 18th-placed Hellas Verona.
The match was between sides going in the opposite direction and Empoli took the lead in the 11th minute when Sebastiano Luperto headed in Razvan Marin’s free kick.
Luperto hit his head on the base of the left post as he was doing so and the Empoli captain received treatment as he lay on the ground but was able to continue.
Empoli thought they had doubled their lead in the 23rd. Matteo Cancellieri’s cross went past everyone and came off the left post. Sassuolo defender Marcus Pedersen headed the rebound off the line but it came straight to Youssef Maleh, who turned and fired it in but it was ruled out as he had controlled the ball with his hand.
Sassuolo was given a way back into the match nine minutes into the second half when it was awarded a penalty following a video review for a foul on Ruan by Ardian Ismajli.
Andrea Pinamonti had missed a penalty against Atalanta last week but he made no mistake from the spot this time.
Empoli restored their lead with a penalty of their own 10 minutes later, with M’baye Niang winning and converting the spot kick after his shot had been handled by Sassuolo captain Gian Marco Ferrari.
Ferrari redeemed himself 13 minutes from time when he headed Nedim Bajrami’s free kick into the bottom left corner.
However, Bastoni scored his first goal in nearly two years to snatch a vital win for Empoli.daniel Maldini scored his first goal for Monza to set his new team on the way to a 2-0 win at bottom club Salernitana.
Maldini, who joined on loan from AC Milan in January, played a perfectly timed one-two with Roberto Gagliardini before running into the left side of the area and firing into the far bottom corner to give Monza the lead in the 78th minute.
The 22-year-old is the son of Paolo Maldini and the grandson of Cesare Maldini – both former Milan captains.
Monza captain Matteo Pessina sealed the match five minutes later with a delicate chip over Salernitana goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa.
Ochoa had made a superb save early in the second half to parry a shot from Gagliardini at point-blank range.