Inter just about did enough at Empoli on Saturday, as Keita Balde Diao's 72nd-minute goal secured a 1-0 Serie A win.
2018/2019 Serie A
0-1
Match Events
31' CLOSE! Politano's long shot saved
SAVE! Inter respond to the threat with an opening of their own. Politano cuts in from the right flank and hammers an effort at goal on his left foot. Provedel watches it all the way and makes a solid stop, pushing the ball away from his goalmouth.
41' Provedel makes timely save
47' OFFSIDE! Keita's goal disallowed
DISALLOWED GOAL! Keita has the ball in the net, but the offside flag is up against the winger. Valero released him over the top in the left inside channel and he finished well with a half-volley into the bottom corner. However, he had strayed beyond the last man.
72'GOAL! Empoli 0-1 Inter (Keita)
KEITA PUTS INTER AHEAD!!! 1-0!!!! The visitors have broken the deadlock with a scrappy goal from Keita. Politano worked the ball short from a corner and Vrsaljko whipped the ball into the box. Keita connected with a scuffed effort that span away from Provedel, striking the inside of the post before nestling into the back of the net. Not a classic, but it's over the line and it counts. That's all that matters for Spalletti's men.
86' Icardi misses a golden chance
SAVE! Icardi goes for the kill this time on his own. He weaves his way through the Empoli defence before firing at goal from close range, only to be denied by the legs of Provedel.
Match Report
Keita Balde Diao scored late in the game to give Inter a 1-0 win away to struggling Empoli in the absence of their travelling fans following racist abuse aimed at Kalidou Koulibaly last time out.
On top of a two-match home ban for Inter fans, Empoli refused to sell tickets to away supporters following the abuse of Napoli's Koulibaly, but Luciano Spalletti's men did not let it impact them and went on to claim the points.
Neither side offered much of an attacking threat in a generally dull first half, with creative ingenuity sorely lacking, particularly from the away side.
Line-ups
Empoli XI: M. Pasqual, Silvestre, F. Caputo, F. Veseli, Acquah, Joel Untersee, I. Provedel, J. Rasmussen, I. Bennacer, A. La Gumina, H. Traorè
Subs: Matteo Brighi, Antonelli, L. Mchedlidze, P. Terracciano, Salih Ucan, M. Zajc, Alejandro Rodriguez, Capezzi, Andrea Fulignati, M. Marcjanik , S. Mráz, A. Jakupovic
Inter XI: S. Handanovič, Valero, Asamoah, Š. Vrsaljko, De Vrij, M. Vecino, Skriniar, João Mário, Icardi, Politano, K. Baldé
Subs: João Miranda, I. Perišić, Candreva, Nainggolan, D. Padelli, Ranocchia, D'Ambrosio, Gagliardini, Dalbert, Lautaro Martínez