Winning Against 10-Man Empoli, Inter Milan Close In On Napoli

JAKARTA - Inter Milan is trying to close the gap in points with Napoli. The effort at least paid off when Inter won 3-0 against Empoli who played with 10 players since the 31st minute in the Italian Serie A match at the Carlo Castellani Stadium - Computer Gross Arena, Thursday, October 31, 2024 early morning WIB.

Inter maintained the competition with Napoli when other teams that actually had the potential to compete for positions at the top began to struggle. Inter, who are defending champions, succeeded in closing the gap in points with Napoli who are perched at the top of the standings.

The victory over Empoli at least returned Inter to winning ways after being held to a 4-4 draw by Juventus in the Derby d'Italia last weekend.

The draw in the eight-goal drama was a big loss for Inter. The reason is, Simone Inzaghi's team almost won before being equalized by a brace from 19-year-old player Kenan Yildiz.

After picking up less than satisfactory results, Inter also got three points in the away match. The result made the Nerazzurri unbeaten for five matches and pocketed 21 points. Inter remains in second place because they are still four points behind Napoli who previously won 2-0 over AC Milan.

Meanwhile, Empoli who have never scored a goal at home are still stuck in 11th place with 11 points. Yes, from five home matches, Empoli drew 0-0 three times and lost 1-0 against Napoli. Finally, they had to admit Inter's superiority without being able to score a goal.

In the match against Inter, Empoli made a pretty good start. They were able to match Inter's offensive play even though they conceded a goal through defender Matteo Darmian in the 19th minute. However, the goal was disallowed because Darmian touched the ball before breaking into Empoli's goal.

Furthermore, Empoli continued to try to put pressure on Inter's defense. However, this effort was not easy. Moreover, Inter was superior in ball possession. Even Lautaro Martinez et al's ball possession reached 70%. Even so, Inter had difficulty finishing every opportunity that was created.

In a losing situation, Empoli actually lost a player in the 31st minute. Defender Saba Goglichidze received a straight red card for a hard foul on striker Marcus Thuram.

Superior in number of players, Inter tried to maximize the opportunity to pressure Empoli. Unfortunately, they still had difficulty penetrating the home team's defense. Moreover, Empoli made a clean sweep to thwart Inter's attacks.

The only good chance was obtained by Federico Dimarco before the first half ended. Only his free kick that was slightly deflected could be brilliantly saved by goalkeeper Devis Vasquez. The score remained 0-0 until halftime.

Entering the second half, Inter appeared different. They played more aggressively and did not give their opponents a chance to develop their game.

Inter's efforts were not in vain. The match had only been going on for five players, midfielder Davide Frattesi successfully broke through Empoli's goal. He finished Darmian's assist which made Inter lead 1-0

Inter also showed high aggression in pressing their opponents in order to increase their advantage. Moreover, Inter had completely controlled the game. As a result, Frattesi scored a brace after finishing Martinez's pass using his heel in the 67th minute.

The second goal from the Italian national team player immediately killed Empoli's game. They were completely helpless and had difficulty catching up.

Moreover, Martinez then solidified the advantage to 3-0 in the 79th minute. The goal was caused by goalkeeper Vasquez's mistake when he was about to give the ball to his teammate. But the ball was won and controlled by Nicolo Barella who then gave it to the Argentine national team striker.

Without difficulty, the unmarked captain fired a shot that broke through Empoli's goal. Inter's three-goal advantage lasted until the end of the match.