A wonder goal from Federico Dimarco saw Inter claim all three points to keep up their perfect winning streak in Serie A this season
Inter needed an early second-half strike to see off a solid challenge from Serie A minnows Empoli and continue their perfect start to the new season.
The Nerazzurri’s quest to reclaim the Serie A title from the grasp of Napoli continued in fine fashion despite the best efforts of their hosts who put in a commendable effort to stop the 2021 champions.
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Inter’s solitary goal came from wing-back Federico Dimarco, who scored his first goal of the campaign to break the hearts of Empoli fans.
How it happened
The two teams were coming off the back of very different results in the last game week, but the final score and the performances from both sides suggested different.
Inter hammered arch-rivals AC Milan 5-1 in the last round of fixtures, while Empol were demolished 7-0 by Roma, but Gli Azzuri were determined to avoid a repeat of the thrashing against the league leaders from the onset.
Empoli defended their goal with a deep backline that allowed Inter only speculative efforts for most of the match.
Despite having 61% of the ball and 23 shots in the match, Inter managed only six shots on target, with only one of them eventually finding the back of the net.
The Nerazzurri’s best chances came in the first half but fell to Matteo Darmian and Davide Frattesi, who fluffed their lines when given rare half-chances.
Inter eventually took the lead after six minutes of the second half, thanks to a rocket of a shot from Dimarco from a corner rebound that beat Empoli goalkeeper Ertit Berisha hands down.
The league-leaders continued to press their hosts for more goals, but with chances to score becoming even fewer in the second half, they had to settle for the 1-0 victory and three points from a tasking away game.