The Empoli-Inter match saw the Nerazzurri return to victory after the spectacular draw against Juventus.
In general, there are some curiosities in Inter’s play that perhaps not everyone has noticed, within a match won, and affected by Goglichidze’s expulsion in the first half for a bad foul on Thuram. Here they are:
1 Inter’s midfield played a very mobile game, especially in numerical superiority. As shown by the midfielders’ heatmap, there was a continuous exchange of position, with every player in the middle taking turns in the role of playmaker.
2 Despite the large victory, especially in the first half, the team is far from their best condition. There are many aches and pains even Asllani, available on the bench, was not yet at his best to get on the field and widespread fatigue, as confirmed by Frattesi. Inzaghi spoke in the post-match of the slowness in the first half, but specified that he had asked the team for patience to chisel away at Empoli. Thus, it is probable that the measured management was a strategic move, capable of leveraging the Tuscans’ unaccustomedness to twice-weekly matches, also taking into account the physical difficulties of the Nerazzurri.
3 As in the match against Turin, the game was affected by an expulsion, but the differences are substantial. While the total balls played are the same, the distribution of possession was more homogeneous and, particularly, less tied to defense, with the construction of the game occurring higher up, involving the defenders less. Barella did the Calhanoglu, with 141 balls played, but Frattesi, for example, touched the ball twice as much compared to the game against the Granatas.
4 Frattesi achieved his first double with Inter, but in general he showed how over time he is increasingly involved in the game and the Nerazzurri mechanisms. He explained it himself post-match: a player should not be judged game by game, but over a long period. And his growth is evident.
5 Thuram continues to have a significant impact on Inter’s games. He is the best striker in Europe in terms of average penalties per game over the last calendar year and continues to attract fouls, as in the case of Maripan in Inter-Torino. The Frenchman is by far the Inter player who suffers the most fouls per game, the 14th in Serie A and among the top 18 forwards in Europe.
6 Lautaro’s furious celebration shows that the Argentine needed the goal, although he scored against Roma less than two weeks ago. The Nerazzurri captain wants to return to the top, but his desire to score has not overshadowed his performance: he worked hard for the team and also provided a beautiful assist to Frattesi when he could have shot.
