Whistles from the home fans as the final whistle goes. Joe Hart applauds the supporters as he leaves the field. He can be satisfied with a first Serie A clean sheet. The England goalkeeper did not have a lot to do, but he did not let anyone down. After last week's setback at Atalanta, that will probably come as a relief.

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Or maybe not. The ball is swung over, misses everyone in the penalty area and almost touches the opposite corner flag as it goes out for a throw-in. Ah, well.

Empoli corner. One more chance maybe...

Torino captain Cesare Bovo chips over the top... Davide Zappacosta is in! Or is he? No, he's two yards offside. You can go back to reading your book. Three minutes to add on.

Torino's Davide Zappacosta nudges over Empoli's Assane Diousse. The whistle sounds for the 937th time this afternoon. Two minutes to go, plus whatever the referee can bear to add on.

Torino resort to long balls over the top in the hope that Empoli's defence will make the kind of error that used to end up in those Nick Hancock football howler VHS cassettes in the mid-1990s. But goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski gathers the pass, and home striker Josef Martinez leans against the post in anguish, looking like a man realising he has just missed the last bus home.

The shadows lengthen across the pitch. Empoli look the more likely winners here, just. They are not creating clear chances; just a sense of unease in the home defence - a bit like there is for the innocents in a horror movie when the vampire hasn't appeared yet. The problem is that we are still waiting for the vampire to appear and we're less than 10 minutes from the end credits.

Torino win a couple of corners in quick succession. Mirko Valdifiori cannot find the right delivery, and Empoli break with Rade Krunic. Daniele Baselli knows that, sometimes, a man has to do what a man has to do. He clips the visitors' midfielder a few yards inside the Torino half, and takes the booking.

Hart is tested again. Manuel Pucciarelli darts on to a through ball for Empoli; the keeper has to be quick and decisive in coming off his line as his defender Leandro Castan lets it go. Hart times the advance correctly, makes the block and comes out with the ball.

A flurry of substitutions to bring you up to date with: Davide Zappacosta and Daniele Baselli are on for Torino in place of Iago Falque and Joel Obi; Rade Krunic has replaced Riccardo Saponara for Empoli.

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Vincent Laurini has the ball again in an attacking position for Empoli; he is clearly over the knock he picked up earlier in the half. Andres Tello feeds the right-back, who cuts in from the wing with the intention of testing Joe Hart witha  cross-shot. Laurini gets his angles wrong, though, and the ball sails a good 10 yards wide of the goalkeeper's right-hand post.

Now... an Empoli corner. Hart was caught out by a set-piece at Atalanta last Sunday. Can he handle to test here? The answer is yes. The England goalkeeper takes no chances, leaping to punch clear. His first Serie A clean sheet moves a little closer. It is by no means guaranteed, though. Empoli are edging this one.

Joe Hart is getting more to do as the second half goes on. Vincent Laurini surges down the right for the visitors, beating his man easily, and wallops the ball towards the near post. It's a save Hart would be expected to make, but he gets his hands up quickly to beat it clear.

A scare for Torino. Alberto Gilardino wriggles free 10 yards out, and gets round Joe Hart, who dives at his feet. The angle is difficult for the Empoli forward, and Torino have plenty back. Cesare Bovo clears the attempted cut back.

At the other end, Afriyie Acquah flies to the ground inside the Empoli penalty area, claiming a foul by Assane Diousse. The referee is unimpressed.

Riccardo Saponara makes 20 yards for Empoli. He is confronted by two Torino defenders. What does he do? Does he check? Does he seek out a team-mate? Does he go for goal? No. He runs straight into the two defenders and loses the ball.

Saponara does better a moment later, collecting the ball just outside the penalty area and hitting a low shot. It is on target, but it rolls through to Joe Hart. Yes, Hart had bad moments with long-range efforts at Euro 2016, but there was no way he was going to beaten with that.

Empoli right-back Vincent Laurini tumbles awkwardly in a challenge with Josef Martinez, hobbles to his feet and forgets to put the ball out so that he can receive treatment. He remembers just as Antonio Barreca steams in to nick the ball from the stricken defender. Laurini seems to be running freely again after a moment or two; he's wants to stick this one out. And sticking it out increasingly seems as much as we can hope for from this match.

Empoli having their best spell of the game. Left-back Manuel Pasqual finds space to play a cross to the near post. Joe Hart makes it his.

A change for the visitors; Senegalese teenager Assane Diousse is on in midfield for Jose Mauri.

And yet, amid all the fouls and niggles, Empoli almost fashion a lead. Riccardo Saponara follows John Barnes' rap from World In Motion to the letter - the bit about beating them by getting round the back - and slides a pass to the near post. All Alberto Gilardino has to do is touch it and he beats Joe Hart. The scoreline at the top of this entry will tell you whether or not he succeeded in that task.

The sun still beats down in Turin. The fans are in full voice. Every few minutes, one player fouls another. A blast of referee's whistle pierces the air. Rinse and repeat.

Alberto Gilardino, who has hardly been in the game for Empoli, tries a shot from 25 yards, but a deflection takes the pace off it, and Joe Hart gathers.

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A minor stoppage as Lorenzo De Silvestri goes to the touchline to have his bandage topped up. It now covers at least a third of his head. At this rate, he might be covered completely by full-time.

No goals and five bookings in that first half. What will the second bring?