Empoli 0-3 Inter: brace from Lukaku and goals from Lautaro, the nerazzurri find their smiles again in the league

EMPOLI – A first half of nothing, a second half of Inter. TO Empoli the nerazzurri finally win, as it hasn’t happened since last 5 march (2-0 at Lecce). And just against Lecce – but in the first leg, on 13 August in Salento – he had scored his last goal from open play Romelu Lukaku. At the Castellani the Belgian scored two goals, both in the second half, redeeming a match unwatchable until then and dispelling the doubt that the pardon granted by Gravina, in view of the second leg of Italian Cup, could end up being more of a favor to Juve than to Inter. And at the end of the game he declared: “My future? I have to think game after game”. Inter’s third and final winning goal was scored in the final stages Lautarowho came on with a quarter of an hour to go, finally breaking the spell according to which Inter lacked goals from the strikers in Serie A.

Inter, not an easy calendar

Empoli’s victory, which Inter needed like air, came with a starting line-up that was nine elevenths different from the one that drew with Benfica last Wednesday at the San Siro, reaching the semi-final of the Champions League. But the Tuscan 0-3 certainly isn’t enough to declare the team healed in the league. Fifth in the standings at 54 points, waiting for the games in Rome and Milan which are respectively at 56 and 53, the Nerazzurri are preparing a couple of weeks to take away sleep. After the semi-final second leg at San Siro with Juve next Wednesday, and before the first leg derby in the Champions League on May 10, Inter will have to face Lazio at home, Verona away and Roma at the Olimpico. On the other hand, Empoli’s situation becomes difficult: by losing they move to just 6 points above the third from last place, occupied by Verona. And in Empoli we hear that coach Zanetti is good, but only for one group in each season.

First half without rings

In the first half, Inter played at the pace of a first summer friendly. Compared to what is usually done in friendly matches, however, the players also seemed scared of the possibility of making a mistake, and consequently trembling in their choices. They have let down those who never play, and who could have shown off: Bellanovawho literally missed a step, De Vrijwho merely watched his opponents fleeing on the break, e Gagliardini, who in his indecision about what to do has always chosen to shoot from outside the area. Well they did Correa And Unripe. Very bad Brozovich, assistman for the opponents, and Lukaku. Result: Empoli scored two shots on goal in the first half, with Cambiaghi and Baldanzi, while Inter didn’t even have one. During the season, faced with his mistakes in front of goal, Inzaghi has always said so: “I’ll worry when we don’t have chances”.

Lukaku unlocks and doubles, Lautaro closes the account

Evidently in the break the coach managed to give his team the jolt they had been waiting for for too long. Back on the pitch, with no changes, the Nerazzurri team, in turquoise shirts, seemed transformed: profound, vertical, dangerous. And after just three minutes, on a short assist from Brozovic, the goal came by Lukaku. Irrational, because marked with the right. Unexpected, because the Belgian hadn’t scored from open play in the league for a good eight months. Twenty-seven minutes later, the Belgian doubled his lead, primed by Calhanoglu. After a couple of chances for Empoli on the counterattack, and a crossbar taken by De Vrij, he thought about closing the game with the 0-3 Lautaro, who entered apparently listless and for this reason taken up by Inzaghi, but capable of putting a good suggestion from Lukaku on the net. Before the match, together with the coach, all the top managers of Inter were present on the bench, from Beppe Marotta to Piero Ausilio, as a sign of support. President Steven Zhang was also present at the stadium.

Empoli-Inter 0-3 (0-0)
Empoli (4-3-1-2): Perisan, Ebuhei, Ismajli, Luperto (27′ st Tonelli), Parisi, Haas (20′ st Grassi), Marin, Bandinelli (27′ st Vignato), Baldanzi, Caputo (35′ st Destro), Cambiaghi (20′ st Satriano). (22 Ujkani, 40 Stubljar, 3 Cacace, 5 Grassi 8 Henderson, 14 Pjaca, 20 Degli Innocenti, 30 Stojanovic, 91 Piccoli). All: Zanetti
Inter (3-5-2): Handanovic D’Ambrosio, De Vrij, Acerbi, Bellanova (24′ st Dumfries), Gagliardini, Brozovic (32′ st Barella), Calhanoglu (43′ st Asllani), Gosens (32′ st Dimarco ), Lukaku, Correa (24′ st Martinez). (21 Cordaz, 24 Onana, 9 Dzeko, 36 Darmian, 45 Carboni, 46 Zanotti, 95 Bastoni). All: Inzaghi
Referee: Marinelli of Tivoli
Networks: in the 3rd minute and 31st minute Lukaku, 43rd minute Martinez Corners: 5-4 for Empoli.
Recovery: 2′ and 4′.
Spectators: 15,337 (subscribers 6,513), proceeds 298,278 euros (subscribers’ share 37,212)
Note: Parisi booked for foul play, Barella for non-regulatory behaviour.