Napoli’s 3-2 victory over Atalanta on Saturday meant Inter could not afford to slip up against mid-table Empoli, a side they had beaten in each of the past four meetings. However, while they dominated possession in the first half, they struggled to create many clear-cut chances and instead had to make do with efforts from distance.
Nicolo Barella was clearly eager to add to his tally of three Serie A goals this term as he fired off a couple of well-hit volleys, but he couldn’t keep either of them down as they flew over the crossbar.
The best opportunities of the opening period arguably fell to captain Lautaro Martinez, whose overhead kick was kept out by Devis Vasquez before later hitting the post from around eight yards out.
Empoli, meanwhile, seemed content to frustrate their opponents rather than cause attacking problems themselves, meaning Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer was effectively a passenger before the break.
Inter needed some magic to break through, and it ultimately came from the talismanic Lautaro Martinez.
Picking the ball up around 25 yards from goal, he set himself up and hammered a strike into the top corner, and while Vásquez got a hand to it, the effort was too powerful and precise to be stopped.
He almost had a second shortly after, but the Empoli shot-stopper was equal to it on that occasion. With the games coming thick and fast for Inter, Simone Inzaghi subsequently rotated his side, with Henrikh Mkhitaryan amongst those introduced to the action.
The hosts effectively sealed the points when Denzel Dumfries powered Kristjan Asllani’s corner home and, although Sebastiano Esposito’s tidy finish against his former club halved the deficit and gave the Nerazzurri something to think about, a Marcus Thuram effort following a quick counter ended any visiting hopes of an unlikely comeback.
Inter will now look ahead to their midweek UEFA Champions League fixture against Sparta Praha.
As for Empoli, they will host Bologna next week sitting one point above the relegation zone, after a ninth failure to win in their previous 11 Serie A matches.