Game is over and the final score is Inter 3-2 Empoli. Here is the match report.
2021/2022 Coppa Italia
3-2
Match Report
Inter scraped through to the Coppa Italia quarter-final after an acrobatic last-gasp Andrea Ranocchia volley forced extra time and Stefano Sensi sealed the 3-2 win over impressive Empoli.
They go on to face either Roma or Lecce in the next phase of the tournament.
The Nerazzurri were top of the Serie A table and fresh from winning the Supercoppa Italiana, so rotated the squad for this Round of 16 tie, including Ionut Radu in goal. Ex-Inter striker Andrea Pinamonti and former Milan man Patrick Cutrone were no strangers to San Siro, although COVID restrictions saw a maximum crowd of 5,000.
It was the worst possible start, as within a couple of minutes Simone Romagnoli was clambering all over Tucu Correa, whose left hamstring appeared to buckle under the strain. The Argentine limped off in tears to be replaced by Alexis Sanchez.
The substitute opened the scoring, as Denzel Dumfries whipped an inch-perfect cross onto his head at the back post.
Empoli threatened on the counter, Radu getting into a panic on Pinamonti, then Jacopo Furlan made a great save on Dumfries after Alexis Sanchez caught defenders napping.
Furlan was again decisive with a double save on Lautaro Martinez after his own poor clearance, then Andrea Ranocchia’s header flashed over the bar.
However, Empoli equalised when Kristjan Asllani pulled it back from the by-line and second half substitute Nedim Bajrami controlled to fire in from 14 yards into the near bottom corner.
Furlan made a great one-handed reaction save on the Alexis Sanchez effort deflected off Mattia Viti and on the resulting corner Danilo D’Ambrosio nodded over the bar.
It turned into a siege, Furlan parrying from Dumfries, but against the run of play Cutrone saw his shot charged down by Dumfries and the referee awarded a penalty. However, after the VAR review, it became clear that the ball had struck the arm flush to his torso and not the arm that was raised, so the decision was changed.
Empoli were still fired up and Cutrone’s scorcher was palmed over the bar. Moments later, they did take the lead, as Cutrone’s header bounced off the underside of the crossbar and ricocheted into the net off goalkeeper Radu’s leg.
It was heading towards a shock defeat until the final minute, when Edin Dzeko knocked down a Hakan Calhanoglu free kick, Ranocchia let it bounce and then acrobatically turned in the flying volley from 13 yards to draw Inter level.
Alexis Sanchez had the ball in the net during stoppages, but only after he’d wandered offside, so it went to extra time.
Furlan flapped at a Dzeko header on D’Ambrosio’s cross, but Romagnoli made a mess playing out from defence and Stefano Sensi smashed into the top corner from the edge of the area on an Alexis Sanchez assist. Incredibly, the midfielder wasn’t even meant to be in the Inter squad, as he is set to join Sampdoria on loan.
Cutrone tested Radu, but Inter held on for the extra time victory.
Line-ups
Inter XI: Vidal, Darmian, Ranocchia, D'Ambrosio, Vecino, Correa, Dimarco, Gagliardini, Dumfries, Lautaro, Radu
Subs: Sanchez, Perisic, Kolarov, Handanovic, A. Cordaz, Dzeko, De Vrij, Calhanoglu, Skriniar, Sensi, Barella, Bastoni
Empoli XI: S. Romagnoli, L. Štulac, J. Furlan, R. Fiamozzi, R. Marchizza, Cutrone, F. Bandinelli, Pinamonti, S. Żurkowski, M. Viti, K. Asllani
Subs: Ujkani, Tonelli, P. Stojanović, Liam Henderson, G. Vicario, S. Damiani, A. Ismajli, N. Bajrami, S. Ricci, J. Fazzini, A. Rizza, L. Pezzola