Parma 0 : 2 Empoli - Parma misery goes on

Posted Monday, November 24, 2014 by PA

Empoli clinched three vital points at Parma on Sunday to pile more misery on the Gialloblu.

The Tuscan outfit went ahead with Matias Vecino's strike on the stroke of half-time and he set up Francesco Tavano to double the advantage after the restart.

The 2-0 win at the Tardini stadium was Empoli's first on the road this season and their third overall since gaining promotion to Italy's top flight earlier this year.

Last-place Parma have just six points from 12 games and their 11th loss has left them four points adrift of safety.

The hosts went into the encounter looking to make amends for a 7-0 humiliation at the hands of Juventus - their worst ever league defeat - before the international break.

They had the first chance in the 11th minute when b Massimo Gobbi hit a right-foot volley from the edge of the area but it was kept out by visiting goalkeeper Luigi Sepe.

At the other end, Tavano's powerful shot from 20 yards was saved by Parma goalkeeper Alessandro Iacobucci.

Both teams struggled to break each other's defences until the 46th minute when Massimo Maccarone spotted Vecino in the box and his diagonal shot beat Iacobbuci.

The visitors continued to press forward after the restart and were rewarded in the 56th minute.

Vecino sent Tavano through on goal and he struck the ball from the heart of the area past a helpless Iacobbuci and into the bottom right corner of goal.

Parma were unlucky not to cut the deficit in the 70th minute when Francesco Lodi's hard drive from outside the area beat Sepe but hit the post.

Shortly after, Ishak Belfodil headed Antonio Cassano's cross just wide.

With one minute remaining, Sepe made sure his team kept a clean sheet when he kept out Lodi's close-range strike.