Chievo and Empoli tied 1-1 at the Stadio Bentegodi on Sunday in Serie A.
Riccardo Meggiorini gave the Flying Donkeys the lead in the beginning of the second half, but Manuel Pucciarelli brought the Azzurri on level terms shortly after.
In the goalless first half, it was Empoli who created the first threat in front of either goal. It was their captain, Francesco Tavano, who sent a shot on goal from 15 yards out, but Chievo’s goalkeeper Francesco Bardi saved comfortably. The home team responded with a shot by Alberto Paloschi from a similar position, but the 24-year old could not find the framework of the goal.
As time progressed, Chievo began to assert dominance and to control the tempo of the match. A continuous attack after 20 minutes ended with a long-range shot by Isaac Cofie that went inches wide off the right post of Empoli’s goal, taking a deflection on the way.
At the beginning of the second half, Eugenio Corini introduced Meggiorini to the match and it did not take long for the 29-year old to make an impact. Shortly after the kick-off, he had a chance and made the most of it.
Receiving the ball close to the edge of the penalty box, he took a touch to free himself from two Empoli defenders and had an awkward left-footed finish that ended up in the left corner of Luigi Sepe’s goal, giving Chievo the lead after 50 minutes.
Chievo picked up the tempo in search for a second goal, but conceded one instead. Just before the one-hour mark, Massimo Maccarone settled a cross in the box into the feet of Pucciarelli who made no mistake and equalised from close range.
Barely five minutes had passed on the clock after the goal when Pucciarelli could put his team in the lead. After being found unmarked in the box with a low cross from the left, the 23-year old’s contact with the ball somehow sent it over the crossbar instead of into the net. Shortly after, Bardi had to save a shot by Maccarone.
Chievo managed to reassert dominance for the rest of the match but could not create any clear opportunities on goal, while Empoli seemed happy with the result. Thus the two teams divided the points, leaving them deep into the lower half of the table.
