Bastoni, third consecutive assist: "We wanted to make sure it'd be our night"

“We started well and, from the get-go, wanted to make sure it’d be our night. Empoli possess quality and are good with their movement, while their new coach has brought enthusiasm. I managed to provide my third consecutive assist, but perhaps it was my worst one; Dimarco’s finish made it look better. It’s never easy to play after international fixtures: a lot of us travelled all over the world. We’d previously had a demanding period with games every three days, and we were perhaps a bit tired. A break was needed, and we wanted to get back to winning ways today. We’ve always been united. Inzaghi teased me when I came off, saying that when I can no longer sprint forward it means I need a rest. It was a little joke that shows we have a nice atmosphere at Appiano Gentile. We’re only interested in winning, and the title would be a brilliant achievement for the Club, ourselves and the fans, who constantly fill the stadium. We’re proud to represent all of this.”

“It was more difficult than we expected it to be: we struggled more than usual in the first half. The important thing was to come away with the three points, which is what we managed to do. It was a good performance. I’m happy with the clean sheet, but it was more important to get back to winning ways and send out a positive message. My approach doesn’t change based on who is playing in front of me in defence. Everyone in this team wants to give everything and contribute. When you’re not playing regularly, you need to be strong mentally and immediately get to grips with the pace of the game when you’re called upon. Training makes the difference: working at the right intensity allows you to respond in the right way. Given I’m not a regular starter, I try to repeat training drills as much as possible.”