The fifth Serie A matchday lunchtime clash witnessed Inter Milan triumph with a 1-0 victory over Empoli, maintaining their perfect record at the summit of the league.
The pivotal moment of the Castellani showdown came from Federico Dimarco, who unleashed a fabulous left-footed strike into the top corner at the 51st minute, besting Berisha and propelling the Nerazzurri to a +3 lead over Milan and a +5 advantage over Juventus.
This marked the fifth defeat for Empoli under the guidance of Andreazzoli.
The match
Inzaghi’s Inter made it five wins in a row, kicking off their first lunchtime fixture of the season with a 1-0 win against Empoli, thanks to a gem from former Empoli player Federico Dimarco.
The Nerazzurri, at Castellani, started aggressively, immediately putting pressure on Andreazzoli’s defense. Early attempts from distance by Calhanoglu and Frattesi (starting in place of Barella) tested the Empoli backline.
However, the most significant chance of the first half fell to Darmian, whose header was expertly cleared off the line by Ismajli.
Thuram had a goal rightly disallowed for offside in the opening phase of Inter’s dominance. As time passed, the home side began to adapt to the league leaders, taking fewer risks and displaying more audacity, leading to a 0-0 score at halftime.
Dimarco decides the match for Inter
The feeling was that the match needed a pivotal moment, and it arrived in the 51st minute. After a corner kick was cleared, Dimarco used his left foot to place the ball into the top corner, breaking the deadlock with a sensational goal.
In the 72nd minute, Inzaghi made his first substitutions, bringing in De Vrij, Barella, and Arnautovic for Bastoni, Frattesi, and Lautaro, while Andreazzoli revamped two-thirds of his midfield with Fazzini and Grassi. In the 78th minute, Thuram nearly replicated his Milan heroics, but this time, his right-footed shot narrowly cleared the crossbar.
The final moments were tense for Inter, as Arnautovic, the former Bologna man, suffered an injury (muscle strain in the left thigh flexor, to be assessed in the coming days) and left his team with ten men. However, the fortress held firm. Inter now stands tall with 15 points from 15 available, creating a small gap early in the season, leading by +3 over Milan and +5 over Juventus.
Empoli, on the other hand, remains at 0 points and 0 goals, although the impression is that Andreazzoli’s debut has been a promising one.
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