MILAN — Inter Milan is finding success with contributions from an unexpected player.
Denzel Dumfries, a defender, scored once again on Sunday as Inter secured a 3-1 victory over Empoli, maintaining their pursuit of Serie A leaders Napoli.
Captain Lautaro Martínez kicked off the scoring, helping the Nerazzurri close the gap to just three points from Napoli, who won 3-2 against Atalanta, currently sitting in third place, on Saturday. Inter also holds a game in hand.
Despite facing a tough Empoli defense, Lautaro broke the stalemate with a stunning goal just ten minutes into the second half, sending a powerful shot into the top right corner from 20 yards out.
Dumfries added the second goal for Inter in the 79th minute, marking his fourth goal in just five matches. Sebastiano Esposito managed to pull one back for Empoli four minutes later, but he offered an apology after scoring; the 22-year-old is on loan from Inter and has netted 10 goals this season.
Marcus Thuram capped off the scoring in the closing minute of the match. Following this game, Empoli remains just a point clear of the relegation zone.
Lazio, having endured a tough week, bounced back with a solid 3-0 victory over Hellas Verona, who is battling relegation.
Lazio started the year with a disappointing loss in the derby against Roma and followed it up with a draw against Como, another relegation-threatened team. The club also made headlines after dismissing an employee for sharing inappropriate content online related to the club’s mascot.
However, Lazio quickly found their rhythm as Samuel Gigot scored from a corner kick in the second minute of the game in Verona.
Boulaye Dia extended Lazio’s lead with an impressive counterattack in the 21st minute, showcasing speed and skill as he navigated around three defenders to finish into the bottom left corner.
Mattia Zaccagni, a former player for Verona, sealed the match early in the second half. Verona’s Ondrej Duda was sent off in the dying moments of the game after receiving a second yellow card.
With this victory, Lazio climbed to fourth place, four points behind Atalanta and eleven points behind Napoli, while Verona remains in the relegation zone, sharing points with 17th-placed Como after a recent acquisition by an American investment firm.
In the relegation battle, Cagliari scored a decisive 4-1 win against a ten-man Lecce, moving ahead of them into 13th place but still only two points clear of relegation.
Parma managed a 1-1 draw against Venezia, which left them just a point above the bottom three, while Fiorentina, despite remaining in sixth, faced a chorus of boos after a lackluster 1-1 draw at home against Torino, who played with ten men for a significant part of the match.
Fiorentina has struggled to find wins lately, with a streak of four losses and two draws in the league. They seemed poised to turn things around when Torino’s Ali Dembélé received a red card in the 33rd minute.
Moise Kean gave Fiorentina a temporary lead five minutes later, but substitute Gvidas Gineitis capitalized on a defensive mistake from Fiorentina to equalize for Torino in the 70th minute.
With the ongoing season, teams are eager to secure their positions and avoid the threat of relegation while pushing for higher rankings in the league.
