Empoli edged out Carrarese 1-0 in Serie B courtesy of a 74th-minute goal from Bogdan Popov. Carrarese created the better openings, with five shots on target and two big chances, but could not beat the away goalkeeper.
The game was goalless until Popov struck, turning in a pass from Luca Magnino, who had been booked in the 51st minute. That settled a contest in which Empoli saw more of the ball but struggled to turn possession into clearcut chances. Filippo Distefano was booked in the 87th minute as Empoli saw out the result.
Empoli had 61% possession and 14 total shots to Carrarese's nine, yet the home side posted a higher expected-goals figure of 0.77 to 0.63. The decisive contribution came from Bogdan Popov, whose only goal was enough to take the points.
