Crazy Empoli, goes behind and turns it around: in Monza it's 1-3. Salvation is decided in the last 90'

Monza, May 18, 2025 – Crazy Empoli. But also stubborn, determined and never tamed. D'Aversa's team wakes up one step away from hell, when Birindelli's goal, which came cold after an encouraging start, risked shattering the dreams of glory before their time. At a time when the end of the championship is just 90 minutes away, salvation has once again become not only possible, but actually even close. Beating Verona will be enough to overtake them. Ergo, getting three points on the last day will be enough to be sure of playing in Serie A next year too.

In reality, even a draw could be enough. Because the calendar, this time, seems to be friendly to the Azzurri. Lecce, who beat Torino and are at 31 like Empoli, will meet Lazio on the last day: in case of defeat, a Viti and his companions, one point would be enough to stay in Serie A. Ditto for Verona, who already has 34 points. In short, if we have to talk about clashes, those that are looming between now and next week do not seem entirely unfavorable.

Especially because Empoli in the second half, the one capable of overturning a match that seemed cursed, finally appeared to be in good shape and determined, convinced and aware that this is what is needed to save ourselves. And to think that at the start, against a Monza already resigned and practically in slippers, there had been plenty of opportunities, but after Birindelli's goal – a Tuscan through and through and the son of a former blue flag – the spectre of Palermo had returned to haunt him in the 2016/17 season, when an Empoli team that was content to win against a team that had already been relegated lost badly and was condemned to Serie B. 

Not this time. Because after the first 45 minutes of little or nothing, D'Aversa pulls the Colombo card out of his hat. The great ex, a prophet in his own country, takes little time to demonstrate that he has the will to do for everyone: he almost scores by hitting the crossbar, then scores like a true centre forward. Empoli melts away and doesn't stop: Viti doubles the lead with a header following a corner, Gyasi closes it out with a great left-footed shot and with the complicity of Pizzignacco, unlucky in the deflection that led to the 3-1. The match, in effect, ends here. The one for salvation, however, will be played next Sunday at the Castellani. 

MONZA-EMPOLI 1-3, THE SCOREBOARD

MONZA (3-5-2): Pizzignacco; Brorsson, Carboni, Palacios (54' Caldirola); Birindelli, Zeroli (54' Mota Carvalho), Bianco (79' Sensi), Akpa Akpro, Kyriakopoulos; Caprari (71' Petagna), Keita (71' Ciurria). Coach Nesta. Subs: Turati, Mazza; Lekovic, Urbanski, Castrovilli, Sensi, Postiglione, Martins, Colombo, Vignato. 

EMPOLI (3-4-2-1): Vasquez; Marianucci (46' Goglichidze), Ismajli, Viti; Gyasi, Grassi, Henderson (46' Colombo), Pezzella; Fazzini (83' Ebuehi), Cacace; Esposito (70' Anjorin). Coach: D'Aversa. Subs: Silvestri, Seghetti, Brancolini; Sambia, Solbakken, Kovalenko, De Sciglio, Tosto, Bacci, Campaniello, Konatè

REFEREE: Livio Marinelli from Tivoli (Colarossi-Vecchi; Collu; Fabbri/Mariani)

SCORERS: 30' Birindelli, 49' Colombo, 51' Viti, 59' (own) Pizzignacco)