EMPOLI starting XI (3-4-2-1): Vasquez, Goglichidze, Ismajli, Viti, Gyasi (subbed for Sambia), Maleh (subbed for Henderson), Anjorin (subbed for Pezzella), Cacace, Fazzini, Solbakken (subbed for De Sciglio), Colombo (subbed for Pellegri)
Bench: Brancolini, Seghetti, Marinucci, Tosto, Grassi, Haas, Belardinelli, Konate, Ekong
Red cards: Goglichidze 31’
INTER MILAN starting XI (3-5-2): Sommer, Bisseck, De Vrij (subbed for Palacios), Bastoni (subbed for Pavard), Darmian, Frattesi, Barella, Mkhitaryan (subbed for Zielinski), Dimarco (subbed for Dumfries), Lautaro Martinez, Thuram (subbed for Taremi)
Bench: Martinez, Di Gennaro, Buchanan, Asllani, Berenbruch, Correa, Arnautovic
Goals: Frattesi 50’ 67’, Martinez 79’
Inter were looking to bounce back from a disappointing Derby d’Italia draw, which saw them held 4-4 by Juventus after leading 4-2.
Davide Frattesi was given a rare start and responded with his first-ever double – and it was against his former club.
Empoli defender Saba Goglichidze was red carded on 31 minutes after the referee changed his yellow card decision after being told to look at it again on the pitch side monitor.
Inter broke the deadlock five minutes after the break. Matteo Darmian headed an Alessandro Bastoni cross to Frattesi from the byline and he curled it into the top far corner.
Frattesi, who spent a season on loan at Empoli five years ago, doubled his tally in the 67th as Lautaro Martinez touched a Nicolo Barella through-ball back to him and he slotted into the bottom left corner.
Lautaro got on the scoresheet himself in the 79th after being set up by Barella. It was the Argentina forward’s 134th goal for Inter, making him the highest-scoring foreigner to play for the club.
AAP
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