| Minute | Text commentary |
| 47' | It's 1-0 to us after 45 minutes of play at the Castellani. |
| 46' | Another good chance for the Nerazzurri. Cesar floats in a cross from left. Ibra heads down for Cambiasso whose shot is blocked. Suazo then has a follow-up effort blocked. |
| 45' | Two minutes of added time to play. |
| 45' | Great effort by David Suazo. The Honduran collects a pass, swivels on the ball and unleashes a right-foot bullet shot. Balli parries. |
| 43' | Toldo spills a Vannucchi right-wing cross. Fortunately for us, Maxwell boots clear. |
| 42' | Cambiasso floats a ball into the Empoli box. It's too long for Maxwell, and Balli makes a comfortable catch. |
| 41' | Samuel's scythed shot from Cesar's left-wing corner is way off target. |
| 41' | Cesar's inswinging cross is headed behind by Buscé. Corner. |
| 40' | Free kick to Inter, awarded for a foul by Adani on Ibra. |
| 36' | Incredible miss by the home team. Left-winger Antonini blasts wide after being played in by Giacomazzi. |
| 35' | According to the ball possession stats it's even stevens at the Castellani. |
| 34' | Veteran keeper Toldo gathers Tosto's deflected cross from the left. |
| 30' | Toldo makes a diving parry from Raggi's dangerous ball in from the right. |
| 29' | Cesar booked for a foul on Giacomazzi. |
| 29' | Brilliant intervention by Walter Samuel. 'The Wall' makes a well timed tackle to deny Buscé a shot on goal. |
| 25' | Uruguayan midfielder Giacomazzi, the only foreign player in Empoli's squad, is yellow-carded for a foul on Cambiasso. |
| 23' | Saudati's header from Tosto's left-wing cross is deflected behind by Samuel. Nothing comes of the corner. |
| 22' | Suazo gets a cross in from Ibrahimovic's flicked pass into the box, but Cesar fails to connect in the six-yard box. |
| 20' | Suazo bursts into the box after collecting an Ibra pass but Marzoratti does well to intercept. Stankovic's cross from the resulting corner is cleared by Empoli. |
| 19' | Cesar, with his head bandaged following that aerial collision, receives wide on the left but the flag goes up for offside. |
| 17' | Saudati goes down under a challenge from Samuel. The Empoli striker remains on the ground in the Inter penalty box. |
| 14' | GOOOAALLL!!!! At the far post Zlatan Ibrahimovic pokes in Maicon's splendid right-wing cross. 1-0 to Inter. |
| 13' | The Empoli midfielder also requires medical attention to a cut. |
| 12' | Cesar remains on the ground following a clash of heads with Buscé. |
| 8' | With an outstretched foot Cordoba hooks behind Vannucchi's dangerous cross into the box for Saudati. Marzoratti's header from the resultant corner is over the bar. |
| 6' | Stankovic's fierce right-foot effort from the free kick hits the Azzurri wall. |
| 6' | Free kick to the Nerazzurri, awarded for a Giacomazzi foul on Ibrahimovic. |
| 5' | Brilliant ball into the area by Ibra. Cesar's low angled shot from the Swedish forward's hooked pass is wide of the far post. |
| 4' | Ex-Inter defender Daniele Adani intercepts a Cambiasso through pass for Suazo. |
| 3' | Ibrahimovic sends in a low cross from the left. Suazo fails to reach the ball and the Empoli defence clears. |
| 1' | Welcome to the Stadio Castellani in the Tuscan town of Empoli for tonight's Serie A clash between Inter and the Azzurri. |
| 1' | Inter kick off. FORZA NERAZZURRI!!! |
| 1' | Lineups: <br>Empoli: Balli; Raggi, Marzoratti, Adani, Tosto; Buscé, Giacomazzi, Moro, Antonini; Vannucchi; Saudati. <br> Inter: Toldo; Maicon, Cordoba, Samuel, Maxwell; Stankovic, Zanetti, Cambiasso, Cesar; Ibrahimovic, Suazo. |
| 1' | Last season Luigi Cagni led Empoli to a seventh-place finish and their first ever qualification for the UEFA Cup. |
| 1' | Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored twice and Walter Samuel once in last season's 3-0 win here, but Empoli are never an easy side to face away from home. |
| Minute | Text commentary |
| 48' | Full time. Empoli 0-2 Inter. |
| 47' | Maicon makes a strong run on goal but Raggi brings the move to an abrupt end. |
| 45' | There will be three minutes of added time. |
| 43' | Mancini replaces the impressive Cesar with Olivier Dacourt. |
| 40' | Toldo blocks a Tosto cross from the left. |
| 38' | GOOOAAAALLL!!!! Cesar plays in Ibrahimovic who tucks home at the far post to double Inter's lead. |
| 34' | Vannucchi's high ball in from the left is easy prey for Francesco Toldo. |
| 33' | Figo tests Balli with shot from outside the box. |
| 30' | Inter make their second substitution. Cristian Chivu comes on for Maxwell. |
| 28' | Time for an Inter switch. Suazo off, Luis Figo on. |
| 27' | Another decisive intervention by Ivan Cordoba. This time, the Colombian makes a sliding tackle on Pozzi to deny the striker a chance from Abate's cross. |
| 26' | Suazo crosses from the left but there's no team-mate on hand. |
| 24' | Miraculous reflex save by Toldo, who with his feet denies Pozzi's shot from Giovinco's left-wing centre. |
| 23' | Samuel's header from Cesar's left-wing cross is blocked by Empoli keeper Balli. |
| 22' | Maxwell collects a Cesar pass and makes a mazy run into the box. He goes down under a challenge but no penalty is given. Instead, we get a corner. |
| 21' | Empoli make their second substitutio. Abate on for Adani. |
| 20' | Ibra's effort from the resulting free kick hits the Empoli wall. |
| 19' | Suazo is chopped down by Marzoratti just outside the Empoli box. The defender is booked by Ayroldi. |
| 18' | After a strong start to the second half by the Nerazzurri, it's Empoli who are running the show at the moment. |
| 18' | Headed clearance by Cordoba from Giovinco's outswinging corner kick. |
| 17' | Tosto's left-foot cross-shot from the left is tipped over by Toldo. |
| 16' | Good defending by Cordoba. The Colombian beats Pozzi to Vannucchi's right-wing cross and makes a headed clearance. |
| 15' | Inter counter attack the Azzurri. Adani intercepts Ibra's fast cross into the box for David Suazo. |
| 14' | Empoli bring on talented youngster Sebastian Giovinco for Antonini. |
| 12' | Ibrahimovic creates space for a 25-yarder but his left-foot effort is too weak. Marzoratti blocks and clears. |
| 11' | Cesar races down the left and lays off to Suazo but is beaten to the Honduran's return pass by Raggi. |
| 10' | Moro has a long-range effort parried by Toldo. |
| 6' | Cordoba blocks a low cross from Tosto. Nothing comes of the corner as Ibrahimovic sweeps clear. |
| 2' | Wonderful solo move by Suazo. The Honduran wins the ball in the Empoli third, sprints past an opponent and into the box and tests Balli with a fierce low shot. |
| 1' | Empoli kick off the second half. |
| 1' | The Azzurri have brought on Pozzi for Saudati. No changes to the Inter XI. |