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Inter logo
Serie A | Gameweek 21
Jan 19, 2025 at 7.45pm UK
Stadio Giuseppe Meazza
Empoli logo

Inter Milan
3 - 1
Empoli

Martinez (55'), Dumfries (79'), Thuram (89')
FT(HT: 0-0)
Esposito (83')
(63')

Preview: Inter Milan vs. Empoli - prediction, team news, lineups

Sports Mole previews Sunday's Serie A clash between Inter Milan and Empoli, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.

After being held on home turf in midweek, Inter Milan aim to resume normal service on Sunday evening, when they welcome Empoli to San Siro.

The Serie A champions could only trim Napoli's lead by one point on Wednesday, as a potential three-horse Scudetto race continues to take shape.


Match preview

Inter Milan striker Lautaro Martinez on November 10, 2024© Imago

Seeking a seventh straight league win, Inter played host to Bologna earlier this week, when victory would have taken them within a point of the Serie A summit.

Though they fell behind to an early Santiago Castro strike, the Nerazzurri were in front just before half time, as Denzel Dumfries continued his recent purple patch by scoring from close range before Lautaro Martinez fired home in the first minute of stoppage time.

Bologna struck back, though, and a 2-2 draw now leaves Italy's reigning champions six points adrift of their immediate predecessors - and current league leaders - Napoli; albeit, Inter still have two games in hand.

Simone Inzaghi's side have now conceded 12 times at home in Serie A this season, which is already one more than in the whole of last term, with a series of defensive injuries surely playing a part.

Nevertheless, they are still very much in the title race - alongside Napoli and Lombardy rivals Atalanta BC - and could yet claim trophies in both the Champions League and Coppa Italia.

Coming into Sunday's clash, they have found the net at least once in their last 32 league fixtures at San Siro, and Inzaghi will expect that trend to continue against one of Inter's favourite opponents: they have won all but one of their last 14 league meetings with Empoli.

Sebastiano Esposito of Empoli on December 8, 2024© Imago

By contrast, Empoli are set to visit a club they have lost the most games to (26 of 33) and conceded the most goals against (69) in their Serie A history.

As if that were not enough cause for concern, the Tuscan side have recently lost five of their last seven league games - as many defeats as they suffered throughout the previous 19.

Last week's 3-1 loss to fellow strugglers Lecce was a bitter pill to swallow, as their dismal home record continued despite hosting one of the few teams below them in the top-flight standings.

Trailing by two goals after just 11 minutes at Stadio Castellani, Davide Nicola's men were unable to reverse that deficit: though Liberato Cacace's second-half strike offered some hope, Nikola Krstovic finally killed them off in stoppage time.

That result left them only two points clear of the drop zone, with a bright start to Nicola's reign fading into distant memory.

Before tackling Juventus in next month's Coppa Italia quarter-finals, Empoli must meet Inter, Juve, AC Milan and Atalanta in Serie A, so things may get worse before they get any better.

Inter Milan Serie A form:


Inter Milan form (all competitions):


Empoli Serie A form:


Team News

Inter Milan coach Simone Inzaghi, November 2024© Imago

Simone Inzaghi will welcome back Henrikh Mkhitaryan this weekend, and he should join fellow veteran Francesco Acerbi - who finally returns from a long injury layoff - on the bench.

However, Inter are still missing Yann Bisseck, Hakan Calhanoglu and Joaquin Correa with thigh injuries, and wantaway midfielder Davide Frattesi has been training individually due to a muscular issue.

The hosts may rotate their squad between a midweek contest and Wednesday's Champions League trip to Prague, but captain Lautaro Martinez is still set to start up front. Inconsistent this season, 'El Toro' will aim to score in consecutive league games at San Siro for the first time since last February.

Meanwhile, Empoli's attack is led by Milan loanee Lorenzo Colombo and Inter-owned forward Sebastiano Esposito, the latter of whom made seven Serie A appearances for the Nerazzurri in the 2019-20 campaign, becoming the second-youngest scorer in club history.

This term, Esposito has notched the joint-most goals in away matches - six, level with Atalanta striker Mateo Retegui - so should be full of confidence for his return to Italy's second city.

Devis Vasquez could return between the posts after his surprise exclusion against Lecce, but Tino Anjorin and Ola Solbakken both join long-term absentees Pietro Pellegri, Nicolas Haas, Saba Sazonov and Tyronne Ebuehi on the sidelines.


Inter Milan possible starting lineup:
Sommer; Pavard, De Vrij, Augusto; Dumfries, Barella, Asllani, Zielinski, Dimarco; Martinez, Taremi

Empoli possible starting lineup:
Vasquez; Goglichidze, Ismajli, Viti; Gyasi, Henderson, Grassi, Cacace, Pezzella; Esposito; Colombo


SM words green background

We say: Inter Milan 3-0 Empoli

In 16 previous top-tier meetings at San Siro, these sides have never before produced a draw, with 14 wins for Inter and two for their Tuscan counterparts.

Empoli would gladly take one point on Sunday, but the Nerazzurri are a class apart and should cruise to victory over ailing opponents.


For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.


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Written by
Jonathan O'Shea

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Game History

How you voted: Inter Milan vs Empoli

Inter Milan
92.9%
Draw
7.1%
Empoli
0.0%
70
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Tino Anjorin in action for Portsmouth in April 2024.
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rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Napoli24174339172255
2Inter Milan24166258233554
3Atalanta BCAtalanta24155454262850
4Lazio24143745321345
5Juventus241013141212043
6Fiorentina24126641251642
7Bologna24101133829941
8AC Milan23108535241138
9Roma249783529634
10Udinese2486102937-830
11Torino2561092731-428
12Genoa246992233-1127
13CagliariCagliari2466122639-1324
14Lecce2466121841-2324
15Hellas VeronaHellas Verona2472152653-2723
16Como2457122840-1222
17Empoli2449112235-1321
18Parma2448123044-1420
19VeneziaVenezia2437142239-1716
20Monza2427152139-1813


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