Massimo Maccarone converted a penalty as Empoli beat visiting Palermo 1-0 in a matchup between clubs trying to avoid relegation.
Maccarone drilled his spot kick into the left side of the net less than two minutes after coming on.
Thiago Cionek fouled Maccarone to break up a clear scoring chance from the center of the area.
Fourth from the bottom, Empoli moved seven points clear of Palermo and the drop zone.