Frattesi fires as Inter sparkle in second half to down 10-man Empoli
Having squandered a two-goal lead against Juventus last time out, Simone Inzaghi’s side knew a positive response was needed to keep pace with league leaders Napoli.
The visitors started brightly and thought they’d taken an early lead when Matteo Darmian tucked home from close range, only for VAR to intervene and disallow the goal for handball in the build-up.
Undeterred, Inter continued to probe for a breakthrough as the first half progressed, and the Nerazzurri were given a huge helping hand on the half-hour mark, with Saba Goglichidze receiving a straight red card for a reckless challenge on Marcus Thuram.
Inter looked to capitalise on their numerical advantage before the break, but Lautaro Martínez directed a good headed opportunity wide of the target as the hosts held firm.
With only Napoli and Juventus conceding fewer than Empoli’s six goals prior to the contest, Roberto D'Aversa knew his defence would face a stern assessment in the second half.
And so it proved, with Frattesi netting the opener just five minutes after the restart, curling a superb effort into the top corner after excellent work from Darmian on the byline.
Armed with the momentum, Inter went in pursuit of a quickfire second, and it duly arrived when Martinez’s cut-back was clinically converted by Frattesi for his second of the evening.
That goal killed off any hopes of an unlikely comeback for the hosts, and the Nerazzurri added a third late on through Martinez, who latched onto Nicolo Barella’s through ball and fired an unerring finish into the far corner.
The result gives Inter a third successive win on the road as they close the gap on Napoli at the top of the table.
Meanwhile, Empoli’s winless run extends to five matches as their wait for a first home league goal of the season goes on.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Davide Frattesi (Inter)
