Serie A leaders Inter Milan cut the gap to three points after beating Empoli 3-1 at San Siro. Besides, extended the team's Italian Top-flight unbeaten steak to 15.
Saturday's eventful 3-2 defeat of Atalanta BC, made them slip up, with Inter up against a middling Empoli whom they were victorious against on each of their last four head-to-head confrontations.
They had bossed possession early on but were struggling to fashion clear chances, often shooting from distance. Nicolò Barella sought more in his third Serie A goal this season, but his volleys sailed over the bar.
The best chances for Inter were by Captain Lautaro Martínez: first with an overhead kick saved by Devis Vásquez and then a shot from eight yards out that crashed against the post. Empoli looked more intent on frustrating Inter rather than attacking them, and visiting goalkeeper Yann Sommer was never troubled before half-time.
Inter needed some magic, and Lautaro provided it. From 25 yards out, he fired a shot into the top corner; Vásquez touched it, but it was too powerful to stop. He almost scored again, but was denied by the Empoli keeper.
With games coming thick and fast for Inter, Simone Inzaghi rotated his squad and brought on Henrikh Mkhitaryan.
Inter effectively sealed the points when Denzel Dumfries powered Kristjan Asllani’s corner home and, although Sebastiano Esposito’s tidy finish against his former club halved the deficit and gave the Nerazzurri something to think about, a Marcus Thuram effort following a quick counter ended any visiting hopes of an unlikely comeback.
Inter face Sparta Praga in a midweek UEFA Champions League match, while Empoli host Bologna a week above the relegation zone after failing to win in nine of their last 11 Serie A games.