Inter beat Empoli and return to -3 behind Napoli

Twenty-four hours after Napoli’s success, Inter responded by beating Empoli 3-1, thus igniting the duel for the Scudetto. At San Siro, the goals all arrived in the second half and bore the signatures of Lautaro, Dumfries and Thuram: the former Esposito’s goal for the Tuscan club was instead “useless”. Inter didn’t shine until they scored the lead, only to then turn on and defeat the blue team, decimated by absences.

In the first half the game was played practically only in Empoli’s midfield but Inter were unable to return to the locker room with the lead. Also due to an often predictable turnover of the ball, the Nerazzurri struggled to break down the wall erected by the Tuscan defense. Despite the few scoring opportunities, Lautaro is the most active of his team and comes close to scoring on two occasions.

In the 14th minute the Inter captain finishes with a bicycle kick and forces Vasquez to perform a miracle. Subsequently, Toro also hit the woodwork in the 26th minute, failing to punish Ismajli’s defensive misreading. The second half starts again along the lines of the first and Inter continues to play, giving little rhythm to their maneuver. However, Lautaro takes care of unblocking a match that risked becoming complicated with a world-class play.

In fact, after ten minutes of the second half, the Argentine put the team on his shoulders and made it 1-0, thanks to a wonderful curling shot from distance. In the 69th minute Thuram takes the field and replaces Taremi, author of yet another impalpable performance. In the 80th minute from a corner the Nerazzurri doubled their lead with Dumfries, author of an imperious break that left Vasquez no chance. Inter are in control and the match seems closed: in the final, however, the new substitute Esposito punishes the blackout of the Inter defense and makes it 2-1.

Empoli didn’t even have time to dream of a comeback when the 3-1 goal arrived immediately, scored by Thuram on the counterattack. The home team thus achieved a major success which allowed them to move within three points of leaders Napoli. However, Empoli’s crisis continues, capable of winning only one point in their last six outings.