Inter Milan maintained second place in Serie A on Wednesday, defeating 10-man Empoli 3-0 away. Atalanta, the Europa League champions, moved up to third place with a 2-0 win over lowly Monza, while Juventus lost important points and fell to fourth place after a 2-2 home draw with Parma. Resurgent Napoli are four points clear at the top of the league on 25 points after defeating AC Milan 2-0 on Tuesday, with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia scoring a spectacular winner.
However, reigning champions Inter maintained their lead Wednesday, outscoring Emopli, who were down to ten men after Saba Goglichidze was sent off for a dangerous tackle on Marcus Thuram. Davide Frattesi’s brace, a deflection, and a polished finish in the 50th and 67th minutes put Simone Inzaghi’s Inter in control, but Lautaro Martinez’s 79th-minute winner came after a defensive blunder.
“It was vital to win after Napoli’s victory,” Inter skipper Martinez stated. This was Inter’s seventh league encounter without defeat after a performing 4-4 draw with Rivals at the weekend. After the game, Inzaghi stated that he had not been reflected on Empoli or Napoli, but rather on the two points they lost over the weekend.
I’ve been thinking a lot over the last few hours about our draw against Juve, certain elements didn’t come together and we should have won that match,” Inzaghi, the Inter manager, said. Juventus, who had been unbeaten in Serie A so far this season, fell behind 1-0 just three minutes when an unmarked Enrico Del Prato headed home for Parma.
While Weston McKennie leveled on 31 minutes, a second defensive lapse gave Simon Sohm an open attempt on goal before halftime. Timothy Weah brought Juve level immediately after the restart, but they are still seven points behind leaders Napoli.
Udinese were defeated 3-2 by promoted Venezia, who trailed 2-0 before Joel Pohjanpalo converted two penalties, followed by a goal from Hans Nicolussi Caviglia, to lift them off the bottom of the league. Atalanta defeated a plucky Monza with late goals from Lazar Samardzic and Davide Zappacosta, and the Bergamo-based side climbed third with 19 points.