Simone Inzaghi sees the Inter comeback from 2-0 to beat Empoli 4-2 as ‘a huge confidence-booster’ for both the Scudetto race and the Coppa Italia Final.
It was looking bleak for the Nerazzurri when they were 2-0 down at San Siro in the opening half-hour and saw a third Empoli goal disallowed for an earlier offside position.
However, they were back on level terms at 2-2 by half-time with a Simone Romagnoli own goal and Lautaro Martinez strike.
The comeback was completed on 64 minutes with Lautaro Martinez before a last-gasp Alexis Sanchez finish to seal the 4-2 scoreline.
Serie A | Inter 4-2 Empoli: Lautaro comeback keeps Scudetto race alive
“I congratulated my players, because we put in a great performance apart from the opening 20-25 minutes, when we were too frenetic,” Inzaghi told DAZN.
“Empoli play very good football, so we needed to be more organised without the ball. Instead, we got too excitable and paid a heavy price with two goals.
“The good thing is, this team does not give up. This comeback represents a huge confidence booster. This team has been working hard since August 20, but we remained sharp and in the running.”
Inter have made that determination a real feature of their Scudetto ambitions, earning 22 points from trailing situations this season.
“An experienced side like ours should never concede two goals like that. We had told the squad for three days that we had to be wary of Empoli, but in the end I think the fact we had 37 shots on goal explains a lot. We created so many chances, hit the woodwork, forced saves from Guglielmo Vicario, we just got out of shape in those opening stages.”
Antonio Conte famously tried to ban the ‘Pazza Inter’ tag, hoping for a more consistent and less wild team, but Inzaghi doesn’t mind it.
“I always had faith. We need to keep going, starting from Wednesday’s Coppa Italia Final, which we wanted and earned with all our might.”
That will be a one-off clash against Juventus at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome on May 11.
“Empoli make you work really hard, so we need to recover our energy quickly. I think determination and hunger will be the decisive factors in this Final.”