Inter Milan kept a tense Serie A title race in the balance after staging a miraculous comeback, recovering from 2-0 down to defeat Empoli 4-2 and leapfrog AC Milan at the top of the table.
With victory being Inter’s only option, a nervous start from the hosts gave Empoli confidence, and the ‘Azzurri’ pounced inside five minutes, opening the scoring after a glorious move completely unlocked Inter. Bravely defying the press and playing out from the back, the visitors opened up space on the right, allowing Szymon Żurkowski to drive his low cross and pick out loanee Andrea Pinamonti for a precise first-time finish against his parent club.
Trailing their city rivals by two points before kick-off, Simone Inzaghi’s men knew only a maximum points haul from their final three games would keep them in the hunt for the title. In turn, the pressure on Inter after a disastrous half was only growing by the minute, as a penalty won by Nicolò Barella after a challenge from Fabiano Parisi was overturned by VAR. Empoli then doubled their lead on the break just moments later, after a simple ball over the top of the Inter defence sparked confusion, before Kristjan Asllani brilliantly controlled the ball and slotted home.
The atmosphere inside the San Siro was understandably bleak, with Inter needing a huge stroke of fortune to get themselves back in the game. Their luck changed shortly before the interval, as Federico Dimarco’s cross was inadvertently turned into his own net by Simone Romagnoli to transform the complexion of proceedings. The momentum had well and truly swung, and Inter found an equaliser before HT, when Barella’s firm challenge turned the ball over, before Hakan Çalhanoğlu’s perfectly-executed pull back found Martínez, who smashed home.
Relentless one-way traffic resumed after the restart as Inter pushed for a goal to put them into the lead for the first time. Empoli’s defending was becoming more desperate, as Dimarco, Dumfries and Ivan Perišić went close. Their resistance would be broken beyond the hour mark though, as Inter completed a remarkable turnaround. Barella’s cross was cleared straight into the path of Martínez who brilliantly volleyed home to send the home fans into raptures.
Inter’s barrage never abated, with Alexis Sánchez eventually adding a fourth in stoppage time. Defeat for Empoli means they’ve won just one of their last 19 league games, while victory was crucial for Inzaghi’s men, as arch-rivals AC Milan could have wrapped up the title before Inter played again.
