SSC Napoli vs. Empoli FC (08.11.2022)

In an eventful Serie A encounter on November 8, 2022, SSC Napoli secured a dramatic victory against a disciplined Empoli FC side. The match was characterized by a stern performance from the referees, which saw multiple players receiving yellow cards and one being sent off with a red.

The action began early as Empoli's Filippo Bandinelli was booked in the 15th minute for a challenge that set the tone for a combative first half. His teammate Martín Satriano followed suit seven minutes later, receiving his own caution. As halftime approached, Empoli continued to struggle with discipline as Sebastiano Luperto picked up a yellow card in the 39th minute.

Napoli maintained their composure until the 57th minute when Leo Østigård was shown a yellow card. These cautions did not deter the push for substitutions on both sides with Empoli making their first two changes in the 59th minute, introducing N. Haas and replacing Satriano.

Napoli responded with tactical changes of their own in the 64th minute, involving G. Raspadori, M. Politano, and T. Ndombélé to revitalize their lineup. The match then turned in Napoli's favor when H. Lozano converted a penalty in the 69th minute, ratcheting up the pressure on Empoli.

Empoli attempted to switch things up with two additional substitutes in the 73rd minute, but their efforts were hampered when Luperto picked up his second yellow card, resulting in a red, leaving Empoli with ten men just a minute later.

Despite being down a player, Empoli made their final substitution in the 85th minute. Napoli, however, capitalized on their numerical advantage in the closing stages as P. Zieliński found the back of the net with a normal goal in the 88th minute.

Empoli's Liam Henderson received a caution in the 89th minute, while Napoli made their fourth and fifth substitutions in the 90th with V. Osimhen and S. Lobotka entering the pitch.

The match concluded with SSC Napoli taking all three points in a contest marred by discipline issues for Empoli FC, who will have to reassess their approach after accumulating a plethora of cards and failing to hold back a determined Napoli side.

Lineup SSC Napoli

Lineup Empoli FC

Substitutes SSC Napoli

Substitutes Empoli FC

SSC Napoli

The original Italian name is SSC Napoli, while the club nicknames are Gli Azzurri (the blues) or I Partenopei. Their club colour is of course blue, which is represented on their jerseys in combination with white shorts. The club anthem is "O surdato nnammurato". They play their home games at the Stadio San Paulo, which has a newly reduced capacity of 55,000 seats. Previously the capacity was 60,240 and even before that it was 109,824 seats. The stadium was built after the Second World War and the gradual renovations and capacity reduction are obviously aimed at improving safety standards.

Empoli FC

The Tuscany club has a tradition dating back to 1920 and has changed its name several times throughout its history. From the original Empoli FBC it gradually became ASF Empoli, Dopolavoro Empolese to today's Empoli FC. The Azzurri, as the team playing its home games at Stadio Carlo Castellani (capacity of more than 16,000 spectators) is also nicknamed, even played in the UEFA Cup in 2007. However, the vast majority of their time was spent in Italy's third highest competition. They have been more successful in recent seasons, but they are still more of a provincial club in the Italian scale, on the border between Serie A and Serie B.

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