Empoli continued their impressive start to the 2024-25 Serie A season with a convincing 2-0 away win against Cagliari on Friday evening. The victory extends Empoli’s unbeaten run and temporarily propels them to third place in the league standings.
Roberto D’Aversa’s side secured their second win of the campaign thanks to goals from Lorenzo Colombo and Sebastiano Esposito. Colombo broke the deadlock in the 32nd minute, capitalizing on a defensive error by Cagliari’s Yerry Mina. The striker calmly slotted past goalkeeper Simone Scuffet after receiving a well-timed pass from debutant Tino Anjorin.
Esposito doubled Empoli’s lead just four minutes into the second half, marking his first Serie A goal in nearly five years. The 22-year-old forward pounced on a rebound from his initial shot, firing a powerful effort into the far corner from close range.
The match saw minimal changes from both managers following last weekend’s fixtures. Notable was the full Serie A debut of former Chelsea prospect Tino Anjorin, who joined Empoli earlier this summer and provided the assist for the opening goal.
With this result, Empoli now boast an impressive record of two wins and three draws from their opening five matches. They find themselves level on points with second-placed Napoli, although the latter has yet to play their weekend fixture.
In contrast, Cagliari’s struggles continue as they remain winless and firmly rooted in the relegation zone. The home side’s record now stands at two draws and three losses, leaving them with much work to do to climb out of the bottom three.
Goals: Colombo 33′, Esposito 49′.
Cagliari (3-5-2): Scuffet; Zappa, Mina, Luperto; Zortea, Deiola, Marin (dal 71’ Gaetano), Makoumbou (dal 46’ Pavoletti), Augello (dal 60’ Azzi); Luvumbo (dal 60’ Viola), Piccoli (dal 75’ Lapadula)
Empoli (3-5-2): Vasquez; Goglichidze, Ismajli, Viti; Pezzella, Grassi (dal 73’ Cacace), Henderson, Anjorin (dal 58’ Haas), Gyasi (dal 90’ De Sciglio); Esposito (dal 90’ Pellegri), Colombo (dal 73’ Solbakken)
