Napoli Empoli live: Serie A Football Eurosport

NAPOLI 0-1 EMPOLI

Viktor Kovalenko’s stoppage-time stunner for Empoli condemned Serie A champions Napoli to a 1-0 defeat and piled the pressure on Rudi Garcia.

Napoli’s coach reportedly held talks with club president Aurelio De Laurentiis in the wake of the 1-1 Champions League draw with Union Berlin in midweek, and Sunday’s meeting with relegation candidates Empoli at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona presented an opportunity to go into the international break in third place.

Instead, Garcia’s time could be up after substitute Kovalenko curled in a sensational winner for the visitors in the 91st minute.

At the other end, Etrit Berisha was in spectacular form, with Kovalenko’s goal coming just two minutes after Empoli’s goalkeeper had pulled off a superb save to divert Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s close-range effort over the bar.

Berisha had previously denied Kvaratskhelia and Jasper Lindstrom as Napoli built up some momentum, having also made fine stops from Matteo Politano and Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa in the first half. The one time Napoli did get past the 34-year-old, Giovanni Simeone’s goal was disallowed for offside.

Not that it had been all Napoli – Empoli had opportunities themselves prior to the break, with Filippo Ranocchia and Matteo Cancellieri going close before Nicolo Cambiaghi.

Napoli had the better of the second half, but without star striker Victor Osimhen, their efforts proved fruitless as they missed the opportunity to leapfrog Milan, while Empoli moved out of the bottom three.