Tommaso Baldanzi’s strike squirmed under Andre Onana for an historic Empoli victory at San Siro, but Inter paid the price for Milan Skriniar’s avoidable red card.
2022/2023 Serie A
0-1
It was an aggressive start from Empoli, as Nicolò Cambiaghi controlled a ball over the top and the angled drive was beaten away by Andre Onana at the near post.
Alessandro Bastoni turned a free header wide and Lautaro Martinez scuffed the finish from six yards under pressure on a Dimarco volleyed assist.
Just as Inter were growing into the game, Milan Skriniar received his second yellow card for a very high foot that caught Caputo on the head, reducing the hosts to 10 men.
Mkhitaryan blasted over and Onana needed a double save on Bajrami from a tight angle and the Henderson follow-up.
However, Onana let a Tommaso Baldanzi strike squirm under his body from the edge of the box as Empoli took the lead with the substitute just minutes after his introduction. It was the 19-year-old’s fourth goal in just 10 Serie A appearances this season.
Nicolò Barella was booked for dissent and then shouted angrily at the Inter staff when substituted, while Edin Dzeko’s volley was just wide from a floated Calhanoglu pass.
Stefan de Vrij’s glancing header on a Kristjan Asllani corner thumped the crossbar on 77 minutes and Simone Inzaghi’s substitutions sparked a ferocious fightback from Inter in the closing stages.
Match Events
4' Skriniar's foul
11' Close! Cambiaghi's shot stopped by goalkeeper
16' CLOSE! Caputo’s shot wide out
25' Yellow Card! Skriniar booked
31' Yellow Card! Jean-Daniel Akpa Akpro booked
31' Lautaro's shot over the bar
40' Second Yellow Card! Skriniar sent off
57' Onana makes a great save!
66' GOAL! Inter 0-1 Empoli (Tommaso Baldanzi)
68' Yellow Card! Barella booked
74' CLOSE! Dzeko’s shot wide out
76' OFF THE POST!
89' Yellow Card! Dzeko booked
Line-ups
Inter XI: Darmian, Mkhitaryan, De Vrij, Calhanoglu, Skriniar, Correa, Dimarco, Barella, Onana, Lautaro, Bastoni
Subs: Alex Cordaz, Dzeko, Lukaku, D'Ambrosio, Acerbi, Gagliardini, Gosens, Dumfries, Bellanova, Gabriel Brazão, Mattia Zanotti, Kristjan Asllani, Valentín Carboni, Dennis Curatolo
Empoli XI: Francesco Caputo, Jean-Daniel Akpa Akpro, Liam Henderson, Luperto, Guglielmo Vicario, T. Ebuehi, Filippo Bandinelli, Nedim Bajrami, Nicolò Cambiaghi, Fabiano Parisi, Koni De Winter
Subs: Ujkani, Petar Stojanovic, Nicolas Haas, Samuele Perisan, Liberato Cacace, Sebastian Walukiewicz, Tommaso Baldanzi, Duccio Degli Innocenti, Jacopo Fazzini, M. Satriano, Herculano Nabian, Gabriele Guarino