Internazionale booked a hard-fought victory over Empoli on Friday evening. The reigning champion of the Serie A fell 0-2 behind, but managed to turn the game around: 4-2. Thanks to the resurrection, Inter will at least temporarily take over the lead from AC Milan. The fellow townsman has one point less, but will visit Hellas Verona on Sunday. At Inter, Stefan de Vrij and Denzel Dumfries both had a basic place.
It initially looked like Inter would take a huge blow in the title fight. In the first half hour, Empoli scored no fewer than three goals, two of which were awarded by the arbitration. Andrea Pinamonti opened the scoring in the fifth minute. The attacker is hired from Inter and hurt his actual employer by getting to the ball before Milan Skriniar after a sharp cross from Szymon Zurkowski from the right flank and successfully put his foot against the ball. Pinamonti celebrated his goal very modestly.
Pinamonti also played an important role in the second goal. The mercenary gave a cross from the left that was appreciated by Zurkowski. In the run-up to the goal, however, Pinamonti turned out to have been offside, as a result of which the arbitration drew a line. Not much later, arbitrator Gianluca Manganiello again played a leading role. He awarded Inter a penalty after a duel between Fabiano Parisi and Nicolò Barella, but after seeing the footage concluded that the Empoli left-back was playing the ball and withdrew his decision.
Shortly afterwards, Empoli made it 0-2. Right back Riccardo Fiamozzi sent a long ball from the sideline in his own half, launching Kristjan Asllani. The Empoli midfielder escaped the attention of De Vrij and finished through the legs of Samir Handanovic. Inter was therefore in big trouble, but straightened out in the final phase of the first half. The 1-2 fell fortunately: the unthreatened defender Simone Romagnoli headed the ball into his own goal after a cross from Federico Dimarco. In the final minute, Hakan Calhanoglu kept the overview on the left and put the ball back to Lautaro Martínez, whose effort with the outside of the foot goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario was too powerful.
SEE WHAT IT MEANS ??
Inter has been looking for that third goal for a whole second half and Lautaro Martinez eventually makes it 3-2! †
Inter will (for now) climb back into the standings over Milan! †#ZiggoSport #SeriesA #InterEmpoli pic.twitter.com/OJiSsKqs0b— Ziggo Sport Football (@ZS_Voetbal) May 6, 2022
Empoli complained about an apparent foul by Barella on Asllani in the run-up to the goal, but found no response. Ivan Perisic was very close to 3-2 in the last second. His bet was turned by Vicario. The goalkeeper also distinguished himself with saves on a shot by Calhanoglu, a header from Dumfries and a low bet by Martínez. In minute 64 it was still hit for Inter. Fiamozzi did not clear a cross from Barella well, allowing Martínez to strike. Then Inter looked for the 4-2. Joaquín Correa, Edin Dzeko and Alexis Sánchez missed good opportunities, before the latter hit in the last minute of injury time after preparatory work by fellow substitute Dzeko.