Inter returned to winning ways in Serie A with a comfortable 3-0 win over perennial bottom-half tenants Empoli at the Stadio Carlo Castellani. After over 40 days, Simone Inzaghi’s side wrote their name in the win column in Serie A, reigniting their stuttering top-four bid.
Since a 2-0 home triumph over Lecce in early March, Inter had gone winless in five consecutive league matches until today. A woeful run of four defeats during that sequence, coupled with an overturning of Juventus’ point deduction, threw the Nerazzurri’s pursuit of a sixth successive top-four finish into doubt.
However, Inzaghi seems to have steadied the ship on the back of the club’s first qualification for the Champions League semi-finals. Despite delivering a sub-standard first-half showing, Inter found a way to penetrate Empoli’s well-drilled backline through Romelu Lukaku.
The Chelsea loanee opened the scoring with a top-class right-footed finish into the far bottom corner only three minutes into the second half. He killed the game off with another brilliant goal in the 76th minute, this time using his favorite left foot to sink the home side’s hopes of pulling off a late comeback.
Second-half substitute Lautaro Martinez put the cherry on the cake in the 88th minute. Lukaku turned from a finished to an assist provider, setting up the Argentine one-on-one with Samuele Perisan. The ex-Racing Club man made no mistake from point blank, sealing a much-required win for Inter.
Inter are Empoli’s kryptonite
Inter proved an underwhelming 1-0 defeat in the reverse fixture in January was just a one-off, as they dismantled Paolo Zanetti’s side on their playing ground. It wasn’t just their biggest-margin triumph on the road this season but also their eighth straight Serie A visit to the Castellani without conceding.
They unsurprisingly won seven of those eight encounters, including the last five in a row. Sunday’s success saw Inter become only the second side after Juventus to beat Empoli in five consecutive top-flight matches in Tuscany without a replay. And they did it in a convincing manner.
Don’t let Empoli’s three shots on target trick you into believing they stood a chance of scoring today because it wasn’t the case.
What a time for Lukaku to pick up form!
It’s been an abysmal season for Lukaku thus far. In addition to recurring injury problems, the Belgian has often struggled for form, leading to speculation Inter won’t trigger a buyout clause in his loan deal. However, as the season reaches its climax, the 29-year-old seems to be hitting his stride.
After scoring a couple of penalties against Benfica and Salernitana, Lukaku finally scored from open play, not once but twice! Before today, his last Serie A outside the spot came in a 2-1 triumph at Lecce on matchday one.
With Inter set to take on arch-rivals Milan in a mouth-watering Champions League semi-final tie, the Belgian’s return to form could be a game-changer for Inzaghi’s side.
Baldanzi is a star in the making but cannot do it alone
Tommaso Baldanzi deserves a better team! The up-and-coming midfielder was the only shining light in an otherwise disappointing game for Empoli. The 20-year-old was the only home player trying to drive his side forward, yet a lack of support from his teammates let him down.
Despite his young age, Baldanzi showed a midfield masterclass on Sunday, winning multiple head-to-head duels against Hakan Calhanoglu and winning spaces for his Empoli comrades. Like his Inter counterpart Nicolo Barella, the Azzurri starlet was full of running and energy.
It’s a shame his teammates couldn’t keep up with him.
 |
Follow us on Google News for more updates on Serie A and Italian football |