Leader of the Italian Championship, Inter Milan beat Empoli 2-0 this Monday and reestablished a 14-point advantage over rival Milan (79-65) after 30 rounds. Empoli is the first team outside the relegation zone with 25 points.
With the result, coach Simone Inzaghi’s team once again triumphed in the Italian Championship. In the last round, before the FIFA Data, Inter stumbled and only drew with Napoli after 10 consecutive victories in the Italian Championship.
Inter’s campaign is so superior to its rival’s that only Argentine striker Lautaro Martinez, the championship’s top scorer, scored more goals than the entire Empoli squad (23 to 22).
The Argentine played this Monday, but went blank and equaled his longest period without scoring in the championship: three games in a row. He only went so far without finding the net at the beginning of the competition, from the third to the sixth round, in September.
Inter scored just 5 minutes into the first half, with full-back Dimarco. The second goal only came 36 minutes into the second half, with Chilean Alexis Sanchez, who had entered a few minutes earlier in place of Lautaro Martinez.
In the next round, the Italian leader faces Udinese next Monday. Empoli will play Torino on Saturday.
Also this Monday, at the top of the table, Bologna beat bottom club Salernitana 3-0, with goals from Orsolini and Saelemaekers in the first half, and Lykogiannis in extra time in the second half. Bologna is in fourth place, with 57 points. Salernitana only has 14.
Bologna’s direct competitor for a place in next season’s Champions League, Roma stumbled after drawing goalless with Lecce. The team from the capital allowed their rival to open up 5 points and has 52 in fifth place. Lecce is 13th, with 29 points.
The other matches on Monday involved teams that are fighting against relegation. Cagliari, 16th placed, drew 1-1 with Verona, 15th in the table, goals from Sulemana Kakari for Cagliari and Bonazzoli.
Penultimate placed, Sassuolo also finished 1-0 with Udinese, 14th in the championship. The goals came from Defrel, for Sassuolo, and Thauvin, both in the first half.