Empoli 0 : 0 Atalanta - Atalanta hold Empoli in stalemate

Atalanta held Empoli to a goalless draw on Sunday to claim a much-needed point and remain above the Serie A drop zone.

The closest either side came to breaking the deadlock in Tuscany was in the eighth minute when Atalanta goalkeeper Marco Sportiello did enough to deflect Simone Verdi's close-range effort onto the crossbar.

Atalanta had just one shot on target in the entire game, Alejandro Gonzalez's 30-yard attempt in the 52nd minute that was kept out by Empoli keeper Luigi Sepe.

The outcome at the Carlo Castellani stadium extended Empoli's unbeaten streak to three games and lifted the Tuscan outfit to 13th place.

The point has kept Atalanta in 17th place, just one place above Chievo, who are in the bottom three.

The visitors, who had not won a game since a 1-0 triumph at Parma on October 19, wasted a good opportunity in the fourth minute.

German Denis got behind Maximiliano Moralez's cross and headed the ball just wide.

Shortly after, Sportiello was called on to make a save to clear b Verdi's goal-bound strike from six yards.

In the 15th minute, Empoli's Matias Vecino's effort from outside the area forced Sportiello into a full-stretch save.

Before half-time, Alejandro Gomez's cross found Boukary Drame in the area and he struck the ball just wide of the near post as the visitors pressed for an opener.

Empoli showed more determination after the re-start and in the 51st minute, Vecino found Massimo Maccarone in the area and his diagonal strike was saved by Sportiello.

Atalanta struggled to break Empoli's defensive wall and were limited to outside shooting.

With 10 minutes remaining, Moralez's bullet-strike from 30 yards was off target.

Maccarone had the last opportunity of the game in the 85th minute and his 10-yard shot beat Sportiello but went inches wide of the far post.