“Andrea Adorante breaks the deadlock for Venezia, converting to make it 1-0 and finally reward a dominant first half of football from the hosts.”
Pivotal“Matteo Lovato is booked for a foul as Empoli's frustration begins to show, a yellow card that hints at the pressure they were under to contain Venezia's attack.”
“Stiven Shpendi is involved in a key moment for Empoli as they search for a route back into the match, though it fails to produce an equaliser.”
“Issa Doumbia puts the game to bed with Venezia's second goal, finishing off a commanding team performance and ending any lingering Empoli hope.”
Pivotal
Venezia
Empoli
Outstanding performance
Venezia•MidfielderVenezia were utterly dominant from first whistle to last, controlling 79% of possession and completing 523 passes to Empoli's 132, yet they had to wait until the 50th minute before their superiority translated into a goal. Andrea Adorante's opener finally breached an Empoli side that had frustrated their hosts for the best part of an hour, and from that point the visitors never looked capable of a response, managing just one shot on target across the entire 90 minutes. Issa Doumbia put the result beyond doubt with three minutes remaining, sealing a clean sheet that underlines just how one-sided this contest was in every statistical measure. For Venezia, the three points are significant in what the pre-match context flagged as a high-stakes title race, while Empoli — restricted to barely a fifth of the ball and a 58% pass accuracy — will need to regroup quickly with their own Serie B fate still to be determined.
How entertaining was this match?
League leaders Venezia host mid-table Empoli at the Stadio Pierluigi Penzo in what could be a title-clinching occasion for the hosts. With a three-point cushion at the top and exceptional home form, Francesco Caserta's side are heavy favorites to extend their dominance — but Empoli will look to spoil the party in this historic derby setting.
