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Serie A Review: Djordjevic treble fires Lazio to Palermo win
29 September 2014
Filip Djordjevic scored a hat-trick to give Lazio only their second win of the Serie A campaign as they thrashed Palermo 4-0.
The Serbian striker finally found form after failing to strike through his first four games for the club, opening the scoring just before half-time by turning home Antonio Candreva's low cross.
Djordjevic then curled home a second in the 75th minute and completed his treble eight minutes later before Marco Parolo netted in the second minute of injury time to cap a superb second-half showing from the visitors.
But, while Lazio avoided a third straight defeat, there was more misery for struggling Parma with a 4-2 defeat at Udinese.
Roberto Donadoni's men made a great start to the contest at the Stadio Friuli, midfielder Jose Mauri giving Parma the lead with a cool finish after 22 minutes.
A double from Udinese talisman Antonio Di Natale had seemingly turned the game around, only for Antonio Cassano to restore parity with an excellent chipped penalty after Silvan Widmer had fouled Mauri.
But the visitors could not carry the momentum from that goal into the second half and fell behind again in the 58th minute, Thomas Heurtaux's magnificent overhead kick restoring the hosts' advantage.
Parma were then reduced to 10 men as midfielder Afriyie Acquah saw red for a second bookable offence following his foul on Luis Muriel.
Udinese duly capitalised on their numerical advantage, Cyril Thereau making the points safe six minutes from time to seal a win that moves Andrea Stramaccioni's side back to third in the table.
Inter coach Walter Mazzarri has assumed the blame for Sunday's embarrassing 4-1 home defeat to Cagliari.
The Milan club found themselves on the end of a one-sided scoreline at San Siro as Albin Ekdal netted a hat-trick in a sensational away performance from Zdenek Zeman's men, who in turn claimed their first Serie A win of the season.
Yuto Nagatomo's dismissal and another indecisive showing from close-season arrival Nemanja Vidic compounded Inter's woes.
And although Mazzarri acknowledged the impact of the red card, the Italian conceded that he made selection error.
He told Sky Sport Italia: "When a coach loses 4-1 and then comments on a red card, then he gets criticised.
"Of course there are moments in the game that can change it and if we hadn't gone down to 10 then we wouldn't have conceded four, but never mind.
"Nagatomo unfortunately made a mistake on the first goal, so he was irritable and in an attempt to make up for it perhaps went into the challenges with too much emphasis.
"I probably made some mistakes when evaluating the squad rotation.
"I thought the team was in great shape this week and didn't pay enough attention to the fitness levels, so kept some players who were on their third or fourth games in a row. It showed.
"Of course, once it rains then it pours, as we went down to 10 men. An experienced team would've sat back and controlled the situation, waited for the second half and not conceded four in the first half.
"It became impossible to turn it around by that point. It is a lesson, the players will learn from this and I already said that to the players."
Serie A giants Milan want a move away from San Siro, according to chief executive officer Barbara Berlusconi.
The famous 80,000-capacity stadium, home of both Milan clubs, was opened in 1926 and later named in honour of Giuseppe Meazza.
Berlusconi said it was time for her club to move forward, though, but is unsure whether it will be possible.
"San Siro is a marvellous stadium, where the history and the apex of Milan and Inter was reached, but today it isn't enough anymore," Berlusconi told Rai 1.
"Stadiums have to provide different services and infrastructure to be open seven days a week, not just on match day.
"Now in Italy there are so many difficulties. There's little economic support from the state, the region or the council."
Berlusconi said the nation's football was "a microcosm of what is happening in the country in general, that of a country that does not want to renew itself."
Roma chief Pallota bullish ahead of Juventus showdown
Dominic Raynor
Oct 2, 2014 14:33:47
The American has taken great encouragement out of his side's 1-1 draw at Manchester City and is optimistic about the Giallorossi's chances of getting a good result in Turin
Roma president James Pallotta is heading into Sunday's top-of-table clash at Juventus with high expectations, declaring that his side "can compete with the best in the world".
The second-placed Giallorossi have not secured a Serie A win over the Old Lady in Turin since January 2010 but go into the match in good form.
Rudi Garcia's side had won all their games this season before Francesco Totti's goal secured an impressive 1-1 draw at Manchester City in the Champions League in midweek.
Meanwhile, Juve slipped to their first defeat of the season at Atletico Madrid in the Champions League on Wednesday.
Speaking ahead of Sunday's trip to the Juventus Stadium, Pallotta said: "The result will depend on many factors, but we can compete with all the teams in the world.
"If you consider that immediately after the goal [we conceded] in Manchester we reacted with great pride, it makes me hope for the best.
"This is the team we have been trying to build for over three years now, with all the leaders and with Rudi."
Both teams have perfect league records heading into Sunday's match and are tied together at the top of the table on 15 points.
Juve lead on goal difference, as they are yet to concede in five Serie A matches this season.
Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri insists his team will stay upbeat ahead of Sunday's top-of-the-table Serie A clash against Roma.
The defending league champions and this season's leaders suffered their first defeat of the campaign in all competitions – a 1-0 loss to Atletico Madrid - in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday.
A day earlier, Roma - who have also won all five of their Serie A matches - were unfortunate not to get more than a 1-1 draw in their trip to Manchester City.
Juve are yet to concede in Serie A and have netted 10, while Roma have scored nine times and conceded just one.
Despite his team's loss in Madrid, Allegri said they would remain positive heading into the home clash against Roma.
“Juve arrive in good shape, as we won all five in Serie A and still haven’t conceded there," he said on Wednesday.
"It will certainly be a great game and tonight's defeat will not change the atmosphere in the team."
Roma will need to be wary of Carlos Tevez, who has an equal league-high four goals this campaign.
Elsewhere, Udinese – whose only loss came against Juve – will be confident of claiming another win when they host Cesena.
Both Milan clubs desperately need wins to stay in touch with the top three.
Filippo Inzaghi's sixth-placed Milan will look to end a three-game winless league run when they welcome Chievo to San Siro on Saturday.
As for Inter, Walter Mazzarri will hope to see a response to his side's thrashing by Cagliari when they travel to mid-table Fiorentina.
Under-fire Rafael Benitez and his Napoli side host Torino, with only a win likely to ease the pressure on the Spaniard.
Cagliari could build on their Inter win with another at Hellas Verona and strugglers Palermo and Empoli are searching for their first victories when they meet.
Bottom side Sassuolo would surprise if they claimed their first win of the campaign at Lazio, while Antonio Cassano - who has scored four league goals - needs to inspire lowly Parma at home to Genoa, and fourth-placed Sampdoria host Atalanta.
Milan picked up their first win in four Serie A matches on Saturday as they saw off Chievo 2-0 at San Siro.
Filippo Inzaghi's side made an impressive start to the league campaign, taking maximum points from their first two fixtures.
However, following a narrow defeat to champions Juventus, Milan were then held to frustrating draws by Empoli and Cesena last month.
Following a drab opening period, second-half goals from Sulley Muntari and Keisuke Honda settled the game and brought an end to the home side's mini-slump.
Muntari struck a volley from distance into the ground that dipped over Fracesco Bardi before Honda put the game beyond Chievo with a well-struck 78th-minute free-kick.
The Japan international now has four goals to his name from six Serie A appearances this term while Milan's clean sheet was the first of former striker Inzaghi's tenure.
Chievo's city rivals Hellas Verona were on the right end of a 1-0 scoreline against Cagliari, as the visitors' poor start to the campaign continued.
Zdenek Zeman's men caused a stir with a 4-1 win over Inter at San Siro last weekend but were unable to build on the victory as they fell to a late Panagiotis Tachtsidis goal.
Bosko Jankovic and Luca Toni both hit the woodwork for the home side before Tachtsidis scored the winner a minute from time to continue the hosts' strong start to the campaign.
Verona now sit sixth in the top flight, having bounced back from their defeat to Roma last weekend - their only loss in Serie A so far
Mazzarri deserves another chance, insists Inter president Thohir
Mark Doyle
Oct 7, 2014 10:20:09
The Indonesian says that he still has the utmost faith in the former Napoli boss - even though the Nerazzurri have lost their last two Serie A games
Inter president Erick Thohir has given Walter Mazzarri a vote of confidence, revealing that he feels that the under-fire coach "deserves another chance" to prove that he is the right man to take the club forward.
The 53-year-old took charge of the Nerazzurri last summer and led the San Siro side back into Europe courtesy of a fifth-placed finish in Serie A.
However, Inter have made a stuttering start to the current campaign and currently sit 10th in the standings following back-to-back defeats, to Cagliari and Fiorentina.
Thohir, though, still feels that the former Napoli boss deserves time to turn things around and feels that the international break will help in that regard.
"We have to evaluate the situation well but Mazzarri has our trust and is doing his best," the Indonesian told VIVABola. "I think that he deserves another chance.
"Serie A is a competitive league, so the break is needed to make assessments and find solutions.
"The players must also do some introspective work in order to prepare for the next game."
Thohir also revealed that the club are currently in the process of identifying transfer targets for January, admitting that he is keen to give Mazzarri more options in the final third.
"We're working out what we will need," he explained. "At the moment I cannot say which type of player will come and in what area of the field.
"But maybe we need a creative midfielder like Kovacic or Hernanes, and a strong forward who can play on the shoulder of the last defender.
"We'll see."
Mazzarri led Napoli to a Coppa Italia triumph, in 2012, and a runners-up finish in Serie A the following season before succeeding Andrea Stramaccioni as Inter boss in May of last year.
Roma chief Pallotta calls for calm after Juventus furore
By Peter Hanson
Oct 7, 2014 16:39:54
The Giallorossi president says both parties should "take a deep breath" after heated remarks following the controversial Serie A clash on Sunday
Roma president James Pallotta has called for calm as the dispute following Sunday's controversial defeat to Juventus rumbles on.
The eagerly awaited top-of-the-table Serie A clash promised much and delivered no shortage of drama as defending champions Juve triumphed 3-2 in Turin.
Referee Gianluca Rocchi was at the centre of the furore due to a host of controversial decisions, notably the awarding of two contentious first-half penalties to the hosts, which were converted by Carlos Tevez.
Leonardo Bonucci's delightful 86th-minute volley earned Massimiliano Allegri's men the points, before Alvaro Morata's hefty challenge on Roma's Kostas Manolas drew a fiery response from the centre-back, earning both men a red card and leading to a ruckus between the two sides.
The bad blood between the two teams has reportedly continued off the pitch, with Bonucci accused of inciting Roma supporters on social media site Twitter, while Roma's players were allegedly abused at the airport in Turin as they prepared to fly back to Italy's capital.
Roma captain Francesco Totti stirred more ill-feeling when he claimed Juventus should "play in their own league" due to preferential treatment from referees - a comment which led Juve director Pavel Nedved to call for him to be stripped of his captaincy.
Roma chief Pallotta has now called for a truce, stating that the rivalry between the teams is good for Italian football.
"Everyone should take a deep breath and calm down," Pallotta said in a statement on the club's official website.
"Football is a very fast game and sometimes there are controversies and mistakes.
"It happens both ways. At the end of the day we are both great teams and look forward to a long rivalry. It's good for Italian football.
"Proud of our team forever. Love our spirit. And Roma will be back and there for a long time. Get used to it. Forza Roma!"
FIGC chief Tavecchio banned for six months by Uefa
Joe Wright
Oct 7, 2014 16:08:38
The 71-year-old has also been ordered to hold an event to raise awareness of racism in Italy as a result of his controversial comments earlier this year
Italian Football Federation (FIGC) president Carlo Tavecchio has been banned from holding a position as a Uefa official for six months following the racism storm earlier this year.
Tavecchio caused uproar when he referred to young African players in Italy as "banana eaters" when outlining his intention to limit the influx of non-EU foreigners into Serie A academies.
The 71-year-old still won the race to succeed Giancarlo Abete as head of the FIGC during the summer but, despite his ensuing apology, Fifa demanded an investigation into the affair.
Uefa's Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body has now confirmed Tavecchio will be ineligible to serve within European football's governing body for a period of six months as a result of their investigation, while he has also been banned from attending the Uefa congress in March next year.
Uefa has also ordered Tavecchio to hold an event to raise awareness of the issue of racism in Italian football and promote Uefa's initiative aimed at tackling the problem in Europe.
The sanctions have been introduced with immediate effect.
The news comes just a few days after CSKA Moscow were hit with a three-game stadium ban and a fine of €200,000 as a result of racist behaviour and missile-throwing amongst their supporters in the Champions League clash with Roma. Dnipro and FK Partizan have also been handed sanctions for similar offences.
Uefa introduced tougher measures against racism offences in June 2013 in an effort to reduce the problem in European football.
Roma president : Strootman to Manchester Utd won't happen
Manchester United can give up hope of signing AS Roma's Dutch midfielder Kevin Strootman in the next transfer window, the Italian club's owner has said.
8 October 2014 18:16 Reuters
AS Roma's Kevin Strootman (Reuters)
United, managed by Strootman's former national coach Louis van Gaal, have been strongly linked with the player who is still recuperating after suffering a serious knee injury in March.
"It is just not happening," James Pallotta told the BBC at the Leaders in Football Conference.
"I have told the papers that they should stop wasting paper. We don't have any interest in selling Kevin."
The 24-year-old Strootman, who has played 25 times for his country, would add much-needed steel to the United midfield and was a favourite of Van Gaal's with the Dutch national side.
"Obviously, as business people when people call us and say 'we want your player' you are going to listen to them," Pallotta said.
"You have to do that, that is the business side. That doesn't mean you are going to make a decision that £75 million bang you hit the bid. That is not the way it is going to work, it is not the way it does work with us," he added.
"Our view is that we want to put a great team out there, but we are not saying 'we have to make a ton of money'. Our goal across the board is stability."
The 34-year-old suffered a calf problem in Mali's Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Ethiopia and is not yet sure for how long he will be sidelined
Roma are sweating on the fitness of Seydou Keita after the midfielder picked up an injury on international duty.
The Mali ace was forced off just 30 minutes into Saturday's Africa Cup of Nations qualifying clash in Ethiopia with a suspected calf problem.
Keita subsequently revealed that the severity of the injury has not yet been determined.
"Thank you for all your messages of encouragement," the 34-year-old wrote on Twitter. "I hope it is not a serious injury. I'll be back soon and stronger."
Keita's injury could not have come at a worse time for Roma, who are currently having to make do without the services of Daniele De Rossi and Kevin Strootman.
The former Barcelona ace has also been in fine form for Rudi Garcia's side since joining on a one-year contract from Valencia this summer.
The midfielder missed the World Cup with a serious knee injury but is nearing first team football after participating in a session on Monday
Kevin Strootman returned to training with Roma on Monday as he continues his recovery from a serious knee injury.
The Netherlands midfielder suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament while playing in a Serie A clash against Napoli in March.
The injury caused him to miss the remainder of the domestic season, as well as the World Cup in Brazil, but the 24-year-old is now closing in on a return to the first team.
"The big news: @Kevin_strootman is back in training with his team-mates for today's session. Welcome back! #ForzaKevin," the club posted on its official Twitter account, along with a picture of the Dutchman in action.
Manchester United have been linked with a move for Strootman, but Roma have insisted that he is not for sale.
He could face renewed competition for a place in the starting XI upon his return, with Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Adrien Rabiot revealing he is close to sealing a January move to the Stadio Olimpico.
The 47-year-old believes too much attention is paid to controversial refereeing decisions in Serie A and has slammed the league's detractors
Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri has denied that Italian football is in terminal decline, arguing that its positives are always overlooked.
Serie A teams have performed badly in Europe of late, with the Bianconeri failing to reach the last 16 of the Champions League last term.
However, Allegri feels that people focus too much on controversial incidents - such as the ones which plagued his side's recent 3-2 win over Roma - and fail to recognise the good work players put in.
"In Italy, they always show you the less good things. Everybody says: 'Italian football is rubbish', but nobody does anything about the good stuff.
"Everyone says: 'Italian referees are the worst'. Then we have them officiating the World Cup final. Italian teams concede questionable penalties abroad and stay calm.
"What does harm to Italian football is that everyone talks about incidents and not the game. The game itself was good, intense, great to watch.
"You have to appreciate the play more and evaluate it, otherwise everything becomes an excuse.
"The decisions of [referee Gianluca] Rocchi came into focus because it was Juve-Roma. Nobody cares about that in a game of a lower level.
"So we lose a great Juventus performance against Roma, a great team with a great player in Francesco Totti."
Allegri went on to say that he now realises the full extent of how badly people view Juventus within Italy.
"In Italy, there are 50 million fans: 12 million support Juventus, the rest are of AC Milan, Inter, Roma and so on. But they are all against Juventus. I see that now."
Rivals are jealous of Juventus success, says Platini
By Enis Koylu
Oct 15, 2014 11:00:52
The Uefa president doesn't believe the Bianconeri receive preferential treatment from referees and is desperate not to see video replays introduced to football
Former Juventus star Michel Platini believes Juventus are constantly accused of having referees on their side purely because of their success.
The Bianconeri recently beat title rivals Roma 3-2 in Turin in a controversy-ridden match which saw them awarded two controversial penalties.
Francesco Totti argued in the wake of the game that the Italian champions always get the rub of the green from officials, though a Goal study proved those claims to be statistically false, and Platini has offered his backing to his former club.
"It's the same old story that Juve are always favoured or that whoever wins is because they are favoured by referees," he told reporters.
"I did not even see Juventus-Roma, neither have I seen [Leonardo Bonucci's winning] goal. I've heard a lot about it, but it's always the same.
"Of course I remember title challenges involving Juve. The tite was between two fine teams but we didn't need the referee to win."
Platini, currently Uefa president, added that video replay technology to decide contentious refereeing decisions would do more harm than good, should it be introduced.
"Of all the evils, slow motion replays in football would be a disaster. All this would stem the flow of the game, so it wouldn’t be a good thing for its future.
"But it's not my decision. I hope that no one ever introduces it for the sake of football."
Serie A Preview: Fiorentina, Lazio meet in key clash
16 October 2014
A confident Fiorentina face another rival chasing European places in Lazio in the Serie A, while Napoli visit Inter.
Vincenzo Montella's Fiorentina easily beat Inter last time out in the league and host Lazio at the Stadio Artemio Franchi on Sunday.
Losing just one of their opening six league games has been a good effort by injury-hit Fiorentina.
The absences of strikers Mario Gomez and Giuseppe Rossi have been felt, with Montella's side scoring just five league goals.
But defender Marcos Alonso said the 3-0 victory over Inter had been a huge boost to his side, who sit ninth.
"I don't know how far we can go, as we have important players who are injured, but the team is made of more than just two elements and we proved that," the Spaniard told Radio Blu.
"Beating Inter gave us confidence."
Back-to-back wins in the league by eighth-placed Lazio have helped ease the pressure on coach Stefano Pioli.
Another coach under pressure, Walter Mazzarri, needs his Inter team to perform at home to Napoli on Sunday.
Mazzarri's side have just two wins in six and sit 10th, quickly slipping away from the top teams.
Rafael Benitez had come under-fire earlier in the campaign, but his Napoli have responded with back-to-back league victories.
Roma will be looking to bounce back from their first league loss of the season when they host struggling Chievo.
High-flying Juventus, who inflicted Roma's loss, travel to bottom side Sassuolo confident of making it seven from seven.
Unbeaten Sampdoria could continue their flying start to the season with a win at Cagliari and Parma, who sit in the relegation places, need a victory when they visit fellow battlers Atalanta on Sunday.
Udinese will be hoping their good start to the campaign continues on Sunday, when they visit Torino.
Fifth-placed Milan travel to Hellas Verona and Palermo are searching for their first win of the season when they host Cesena.
Genoa and Empoli complete matchday seven on Monday.
Rafael Benitez has received the backing of Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis despite the club's slow start to the new campaign.
Napoli finished third in Serie A last season and much is expected from them this term, although a return of just three wins from their opening six league matches is hardly the form of title contenders.
Defeats to Chievo and Udinese followed by a 3-3 draw with Palermo marked a largely miserable month for Benitez's men in September, salvaged only by a narrow win at struggling Sassuolo.
Having also failed to progress past the play-off round in the UEFA Champions League, Benitez has come under pressure but De Laurentiis insists the Spaniard is the right man for the job.
"Benitez is doing a great job with a group that is growing every day without giving up anything until the last," he wrote on his official Twitter page.
"I am also very happy with all the lads who are proving how much they care about the jersey by working with great professionalism."
Despite back-to-back wins in the league Napoli remain eight points behind leaders Juventus after six games.
Serie A Review: Juve drop points, Roma close the gap
18 October 2014
Juventus saw their lead at the top of Serie A cut to one point as they were held 1-1 away to strugglers Sassuolo.
A spirited performance from the hosts saw them take the lead through Simone Zaza - formerly contracted by Juve - after 13 minutes, after the visitors failed to clear their lines.
The champions had not previously dropped points since a 2-0 loss away to Napoli in March, and were soon back on level terms in superb fashion.
A wonderful run down the left from Paul Pogba saw the Frenchman cut inside before curling home a fantastic right-footed effort from the edge of the area.
However, that goal failed to spark the Turin club into life as they struggled to make any sort of breakthrough against a well-drilled Sassuolo defence.
The hosts held on with a degree of comfort ultimately and now find themselves off the bottom of the table, although their search for a first win continues.
Juventus though will view this game as a stumble, especially given second-placed Roma’s win earlier in the day.
A dominant first half performance saw Roma cruise to a 3-0 win at home to Chievo, with goals from Mattia Destro, Adem Ljajic and Francesco Totti.
The hosts took the lead after just four minutes when Mattia Destro got on the end of a Miralem Pjanic corner from eight yards to head home and give him his third goal in as many Serie A starts.
Chievo were handed a brief reprieve when Destro failed to convert Maicon’s cross, but Roma doubled their lead after 25 minutes, when Adem Ljajic burst down the right to latch on to Franceso Totti’s well-worked ball, before firing past goalkeeper Francesco Bardi from a tight angle.
Totti soon got in among the goals himself eight minutes later, stepping up to blast home from the spot after Dario Dainelli brought down Daniele De Rossi in the box.
Roma continued to create chances after the break, with Chievo rarely looking threatening on what was a comfortable afternoon for Rudi Garcia’s men.
Filippo Inzaghi's transformation of Milan continued to gather pace as they beat Verona 3-1 to move into fourth place in Serie A.
Keisuke Honda shone for Inzaghi's side on Sunday as he netted twice in their fourth league win of the season, leaving them just five points behind leaders Juventus.
They were handed the lead in the 21st minute when Rafael Marques sliced Ignazio Abate's cross into his own goal, and six minutes later Honda had his first of the match.
He took his tally for the season to six after 56 minutes when he raced onto Adil Rami's pass to fire past Rafael.
Verona were able to get a consolation in the closing minutes through Nico Lopez, but Rafael Marquez's dismissal for a second bookable offence in stoppage time compounded a bad day for Andrea Mandorlini's side.
Milan's city rivals Inter were involved in a dramatic game at San Siro as they twice came from behind in the final 11 minutes to draw 2-2 with Napoli.
After wasting a host of chances Inter found themselves behind when Jose Callejon fired past Samir Handanovic in the 79th minute.
Fredy Guarin levelled just 70 seconds after coming on as a substitute, but Callejon restored Napoli's lead in the final minute.
However, the drama was not over as Hernanes rose to head home a Dodo cross in the second minute of stoppage time to earn a draw.
Inter's point moved them above Fiorentina in the table after they were beaten 2-0 at home by Lazio, Filip Djordjevic and Senad Lulic sending Vincenzo Montella's side to a first defeat at the Artemio Franchi this season.
At the bottom, Palermo finally collected their first win since promotion with a 2-1 victory over 10-man Cesena.
Giancarlo Gonzalez struck the winning goal in the closing minutes of the match for the Sicilian side, with Cesena midfielder Manuel Coppola seeing red.
After four defeats in a row Atalanta collected a much-needed three points thanks to Richmond Boakye's 90th-minute winner against fellow strugglers Parma, who drop to the foot of the table.
Cagliari are just above the drop zone after coming from two goals behind to draw 2-2 with Sampdoria, denying Sinisa Mihajlovic's side, who had Fabrizio Cacciatore sent off, a chance to close the gap on the top two.
Meanwhile, Fabio Quagliarella's fourth goal of the season gave Torino a 1-0 victory over his former club Udinese.
A controversial goal off Empoli defender Lorenzo Tonelli's hand denied Genoa back-to-back victories in Serie A.
Empoli equalised in the 77th minute of Monday's 1-1 draw , with Massimo Maccarone's header from a corner deflecting off Tonelli's hand and into the net.
Despite mass protests from the home side, referee Angelo Cervellera let the goal stand and Empoli extended their unbeaten league run to five matches, while Genoa failed to build on their impressive win at Parma before the international break.
Genoa took the lead with a blistering half-volley from Andrea Bertolacci after 13 minutes, the midfielder smashing home from the edge of the area after Alessandro Matri had half-controlled Edenilson's long ball forward.
But Genoa displayed disappointing profligacy at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris, just three of their 13 shots hitting the target.
And they were punished in unconventional fashion as Tonelli diverted Maccarone's header in at the near post with his right hand, meaning that Genoa have won only two of their first seven games in Italy's top flight.
The draw takes Empoli to 13th in the standings on seven points while Genoa sit 10th with nine to their name.
