Empoli edges away from Serie A drop zone with win

EMPOLI, Italy (AP) — Empoli inched further away from the drop zone with a hard-fought 2-0 win over relegation-threatened Cremonese. Empoli moved 10 points above the bottom three. Cremonese remains three points from safety ahead of the rest of the final round before Serie A pauses for the World Cup and the traditional winter break. Nicolò Cambiaghi came off the bench at halftime and had an immediate impact as he scored 16 seconds after the restart. Fabiano Parisi secured the win with two minutes remaining.