Final score

21 September 2016 20:45

Empoli
0 - 2
Inter
17' Icardi
10' Icardi
Referee: Marco Guida / Linesmen: Marrazzo, Tasso / Fourth official: Valeriani / Assistants: Fabbri, Abisso
Watch highlights

Minute Text commentary
45' That's it for the first half! The Nerazzurri head in for a rest two goals to the good thanks to Mauro Icardi
45' Good idea from Joao Mario: exchanging passes with Perisic, he lets fly from the edge of the area. Empoli get the block in
43' Maccarone strikes a free kick but the Nerazzurri wall does its job
40' Candreva has a go from way out but can't hit the target
38' Dimarco with another shot, Handanovic with another great save
36' Handanovic puts an effort from Dimarco behind for a corner
35' Kondogbia with a shot just over the bar from the edge of the area
32' Joao Mario with yet another superb pass to Candreva, who sets up D'Ambrosio for the shot. Skorupski eventually gets hold of it
30' Candreva with a free-kick, Jeison leaps highest but his header is over the bar
28' Great chance for Icardi, taking advantage of Diousse's mistake and baring down on goal. Skorupski comes out to close out the chance
25' Miranda is next to go in the referee's notebook
23' Gary Medel gets a booking for a foul inside the centre circle
17' GOOOAAAAL! Wonderful through-ball by Joao Mario for Icardi, who is clinical with the finish. 2-0 to Inter
14' Another chance for Inter, Skorupski drops Candreva's cross but Perisic can't finish it off
12' Barba clatters into Icardi. Guida calls it a foul but not enough for a card
10' GOAAAAAL! Icardi with a diving header on Candreva's cross to give Inter the lead!
7' Wonderful chance for the Nerazzurri. Bellusci pulls out a last-minute save with Icardi ready to finish
4' Dimarco with a free-kick midway inside the Inter half, Miranda is well placed to clear
3' Murillo fells Maccarone and receives a yellow card for his troubles
2' Candreva crosses from the right, Barba with the sliding tackle
1' And we're off! Frank de Boer's men have the kick-off! Good luck, lads!
1' The captains have done the coin-toss, the Nerazzurri seeking their third win on the bounce in the league
1' We're just moments away from kick-off here! The teams are about to make their entrances onto the pitch at the Stadio Castellani
Minute Text commentary
51' Full time! Mauro Icardi's double, his sixth of the season, hands Inter their third win on the bounce
49' Pucciarelli strikes it just over with a first-time shot outside the area
48' Inter running down the clock with some possession in midfield
44' There will be six minutes of additional time at the end of this game
40' Frank de Boer makes his last sub, sending on Felipe Melo in place of Medel
38' Mancino with an effort on goal, Handanovic watches it out of play
35' Blistering pace from Perisic, his precise cross looks to have found either one of Icardi or Eder but neither can take full advantage
32' Superb ball from Perisic to Eder but Dimarco gets ahead of him and deflects behind for a corner
30' Another change quickly follows, Eder on for Candreva
29' Frank de Boer decides to change things up, Kondogbia makes way for Gnoukouri
28' Maccarone with a wild volley in the area that sails over
25' Candreva looks for Icardi but Bellusci reads it and launches his side on the counter
23' Double sub from the hosts: Zambelli and Marilungo on for Laurini and Saponara
20' Tello shoots, it's deflected but Handanovic saves comfortably
18' Icardi lays it off for Candreva to shoot. Skorupski gets his feet sorted and saves
14' Joao Mario with a professional foul on Croce, it's the fourth yellow for the Nerazzurri
13' Empoli make the first change of the match, Croce coming on for Buchel
11' Kondogbia fixes up Diousse and beats him, then pulls it back for Icardi who strikes it poorly from a good position. Chance averted
10' Tello puts in a cross from the right, D'Ambrosio does well to avert the danger
6' Pucciarelli finds himself with just Handanovic to beat, but messes up the acrobatic finish
4' Double chance for the Nerazzurri from crosses by Perisic and Candreva. Dimarco first, then Laurini saving the home side
3' Empoli skipper Maccarone clatters into Murillo and receives a yellow card
1' No changes to either side as the second half gets under way

Santon
6.36
6.36
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 X
YOUR RATING
Handanovic
7.27
7.27
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 X
YOUR RATING
Icardi
8.65
8.65
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 X
YOUR RATING
D'Ambrosio
6.15
6.15
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 X
YOUR RATING
Medel
6.54
6.54
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 X
YOUR RATING
Gnoukouri
6.1
6.1
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 X
YOUR RATING
Kondogbia
5.7
5.7
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 X
YOUR RATING
Miranda
7.2
7.2
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 X
YOUR RATING
Murillo
6.21
6.21
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 X
YOUR RATING
Perisic
6.77
6.77
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 X
YOUR RATING
Melo
6.15
6.15
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 X
YOUR RATING
Eder
6.3
6.3
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 X
YOUR RATING
Candreva
7.38
7.38
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 X
YOUR RATING
Joao Mario
8.23
8.23
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 X
YOUR RATING
Average rating 6.79 SEND RATINGS
3 shots on target 4
6 shots off target 9
15 fouls committed 14
5 corners 4
3 offsides 2
53% ball possession 47%
wins(12) draws(3) defeats(2)

EMPOLI – A superb collective performance from Inter that brought two goals in the first half proved too much for Empoli to handle this evening at the Stadio Castellani.

Frank de Boer's men responded perfectly to their coach's call to build on last Sunday's comeback victory against Juventus with a display that oozed quality, hard work and effective game management.

The second half was a much more even contest as the hosts came back into it, but aside from a couple of saves against Nerazzurri loanee Federico Dimarco, Samir Handanovic had little to do.

The only downside were the four unnecessary yellow cards, which could prove costly later in the campaign.

Inter's first chance came in the seventh minute when Antonio Candreva drove into the box from the right flank and fired in a low cross for Mauro Icardi, but Giuseppe Bellusci did well to avert the danger with a sliding clearance. This turned out to be the dress rehearsal as the same pair linked up again moments later: the Italy winger whipped in a perfect cross this time, allowing the Argentine to score with a diving header with ten minutes gone.

The Nerazzurri were running amok in the first half and in the 17th minute Joao Mario, so often at the heart of Inter's moves, won back the ball from Marcel Buchel in midfield. The Portuguese took one look up and split the Tuscan defence with an inch-perfect pass to Icardi. All the captain had to do was beat the onrushing Lukasz Skorupski, which he did emphatically.

The game could have been dead and buried before the half-hour mark, as both Icardi and D'Ambrosio were faced with presentable chances, but neither could convert and Empoli were let off the hook.

Frederico Dimarco, arguably the home side's best player, did give Handanovic something to think about in the first half with two long-range efforts with ten minutes to go. On both occasions, the Slovenian was equal to the Nerazzurri youth-academy product and Inter went in at the break with their clean sheet intact.

The hosts came out for the second half with much more energy, as they probed for a way back into the match. However, despite upping the pressure, the Tuscan side failed to create much in the way of clear-cut chances.

There was always the feeling, on the other hand, that Inter carried the greater threat. After a one-two with Geoffrey Kondogbia, Icardi had a chance to bag his hat-trick but couldn't find the right connection, before shortly afterwards he turned provider for Candreva, whose shot was too central.

De Boer made some changes in the final 20 minutes, sending on some fresh legs in the form of Assane Gnoukouri, Felipe Melo and Eder to make sure of the points. Inter played out the rest of the contest without danger and took home a valuable three points.

Empoli 0-2 Inter (HT: 0-2)
Scorers
: Icardi 10, 17.

EMPOLI: 28 Skorupski; 2 Laurini (3 Zambelli, 68), 6 Bellusci, 19 Barba, 4 Dimarco; 88 Tello, 8 Diousse, 77 Buchel (11 Croce, 57); 10 Saponara (89 Marilungo, 68); 20 Pucciarelli, 7 Maccarone.
Subs not used: 23 Pelagotti, 5 Jose Mauri, 9 Mchedidze, 17 Maiello, 18 Gilardino, 21 Pasqual, 24 Cosic, 31 Pereira, 33 Krunic.
Coach: Giovanni Martusciello.

INTER: 1 Handanovic; 33 D'Ambrosio, 25 Miranda, 24 Murillo, 21 Santon; 17 Medel (5 Melo, 85), 7 Kondogbia (27 Gnoukouri, 74); 87 Candreva (23 Eder, 75), 6 Joao Mario, 44 Perisic; 9 Icardi.
Subs not used: 30 Carrizo, 8 Palacio, 10 Jovetic, 13 Ranocchia, 15 Ansaldi, 55 Nagatomo, 94 Yao, 95 Miangue, 96 Barbosa.
Coach: Frank de Boer

Yellow cards: Murillo 3, Medel 23, Miranda 25, Joao Mario 58.

Additional time: 0+6 minutes.

Referee: Marco Guida.
Assistants: Afonso Marrazzo and Gianmattia Tasso.
Fourth official: Filippo Valeriani.
Additional assistants: Fabbri and Rosario Abisso.

starting lineups

Skorupski 28 1 Handanovic
Laurini 2 33 D'Ambrosio
Bellusci 6 25 Miranda
Barba 19 24 Murillo
Dimarco 4 21 Santon
Tello 88 17 Medel
Diousse 8 7 Kondogbia
Buchel 77 87 Candreva
Saponara 10 6 Joao Mario
Pucciarelli 20 44 Perisic
Maccarone 7 9 Icardi

substitutes

Pelagotti 23 30 Carrizo
Zambelli 3 5 Melo
José Mauri 5 8 Palacio
Mchedlidze 9 10 Jovetic
Croce 11 13 Ranocchia
Maiello 17 15 Ansaldi
Gilardino 18 23 Eder
Pasqual 21 27 Gnoukouri
Cosic 24 55 Nagatomo
Pereira 31 94 Yao
Krunic 33 95 Miangue
Marilungo 89 96 Barbosa

Choose the action and relive the game in every single detail.