Defending Serie A champions Inter head to Stadio Carlo Castellani to take on out-of-form Empoli in a must-win midweek fixture. Wednesday’s encounter in Tuscany requires a quick turnaround after Simone Inzaghi’s charges featured in an intense Derby d’Italia on Sunday.
Inter threw away a two-goal cushion in a remarkable 4-4 home draw against fiercest rivals Juventus, as Kenan Yildiz’s late brace canceled Piotr Zielinski’s first-half heroics. The Polish midfielder slotted home two penalties in his first Serie A start for the Nerazzurri, but it wasn’t enough for them to beat the Turin giants in back-to-back league meetings for the first time since 2004.
There’s no time to dwell on the past, with Inter entering Gameweek 10 four points adrift of early pacesetters Napoli, who squeaked past Lecce 1-0 on Saturday. Inzaghi’s men are odds-on to return to the win column after relinquishing a five-game winning streak across all competitions in one of the most enthralling Derby d’Italia installments this century.
As for Empoli, they squandered a narrow halftime lead in a 1-1 stalemate against Parma on Sunday afternoon, making it four consecutive league matches without winning (D2, L2). That’s a far cry from their scintillating start to the season, highlighted by a 2-1 away win against Roma and a scoreless home draw versus Juventus.
However, those results provide a strong indication of what Inter could be up against on Wednesday. Empoli have become synonymous with defying the underdog status during Roberto D’Aversa’s early regime and will aim to uphold that reputation against injury-hit Inter.
