The final steps to the Scudetto: Inter Milan are and remain the measure of all things in this Serie A season, and the 2-0 win over basement dwellers Empoli does nothing to change that. The Nerazzurri have an impressive 79 points to their name after 30 matchdays – and with 73 goals scored and 14 conceded, they have both the best attack and the best defense.
With an eleven-point lead, Inter Milan went into the Easter Monday match against the clear underdogs and cellar dwellers FC Empoli – and immediately lived up to their role as favorites with dominant soccer. After a fine cross from Barella, Lautaro Martinez touched the ball lightly, but Caprile was on hand to defuse the ball in the FCE box. That was in the 4th minute of the game.
The keeper was beaten around 60 seconds later, however, as Bastoni found his advanced teammate Dimarco centrally on the edge of the penalty area – and the latter shot on the volley and into the bottom left corner for a deserved lead (5′). Dimarco again, by the way, as the Italian international had already made the treble possible in the 1-0 first-leg win in a remarkable manner.
The Nerazzurri’s lead was also deserved because they kept up the pressure and pushed for a second goal. However, Thuram narrowly missed the ball after a flowing combination and Mkhitaryan cross (16′), before FCE goalkeeper Caprile got his fingertips to a Bastoni shot and deflected the ball to his right far post (19′). Lautaro Martinez was also annoyed when he received Barella’s pass strongly but finished too inaccurately (23′).
Empoli are in trouble
But anyone who thought that the visitors from Tuscany, who had recently been beaten 1-0 three times in a row and had therefore slipped back to the bottom of the table, were intimidated was wrong. Suddenly, the underdogs pushed forward boldly, stood firm defensively and didn’t let anything else get in their way until the break.
The only thing missing? A successful finish to make it 1:1, such as a powerful long-range shot from Marin that Audero made a strong save in the Inter box (27′). Incidentally, the 27-year-old had been allowed to keep Milan’s goal because Swiss international keeper Sommer (twisted ankle during the international break) was not risked. The ex-Munich man and former Gladbach player only sat on the bench – and watched from there as Empoli continued to push forward courageously until the half-time whistle, but lacked the brilliant idea to equalize. Inter, for whom veteran Acerbi was also in the starting eleven after his racism acquittal (“These were very difficult days – we all lost”), took the 1-0 lead into the break
Joker Alexis scores quickly
After the restart, FC Internazionale, who had drawn 1-1 with reigning champions Napoli before the international break and also dramatically failed to beat Atletico Madrid on penalties in the Champions League round of 16, regained their dominance. But without shining in the process
The 1:0 was initially managed with controlled forward play and stable defensive work, which Barella was unable to convert into a 2:0 (52′). Pavard also failed to extend the lead (65′), briefly opening up a 1:1 window for Cambiaghi. However, the FCE professional missed (67′). In the end, it took until the 81st minute for the two Inter jokers Dumfries and Alexis Sanchez, who had only just come on as substitutes, to score the decisive 2:0. The former served and the latter slotted home with no sense of humor (81st).
Because Acerbi & Co. kept the Scotsmen tight defensively, Inter Milan did not concede a goal for the 19th time this season – and restored their 14-point lead over city rivals and their closest rivals Milan with this deserved 2-0 win. The situation for Empoli, who lost for the fourth time in a row without conceding a goal, remained really tricky
