Inzaghi says Inter's victory over Empoli was a strong response to the setback against Juventus.

Defending Serie A champions Inter Milan narrowed the gap to four points behind leaders Napoli with their victory over Empoli on Wednesday.

For manager Simone Inzaghi, however, the focus was on demonstrating a strong response following the weekend's draw against Juventus.

The Derby d'Italia on Sunday captivated neutral fans, but Inter felt they had squandered two points after allowing a two-goal advantage to slip, resulting in a dramatic 4-4 draw with Juventus.

In light of Napoli's 2-0 victory against AC Milan on Tuesday, Inzaghi was questioned whether their 3-0 triumph at Empoli served as a statement to the league leaders.

"It is a response to ourselves. Over the past two and a half days, I experienced a range of emotions," Inzaghi remarked to broadcaster DAZN.

"Reflecting on Sunday’s match, I sensed something was amiss; we deserved to win, yet we needed to perform better.

"We aimed to recover, as managing our resources is crucial given the number of matches and absences we are facing."

Inzaghi recognized the challenges his team would encounter against Empoli, a side that had conceded only one goal in their last four home fixtures.

Empoli's first-half dismissal of a player allowed Inter to capitalize after the interval.

"It was not straightforward; we had analyzed Empoli's home performances over the last two days," Inzaghi noted.

"We anticipated difficulties, and in the first half, our ball movement was sluggish. We were confident that Empoli would tire, and ultimately, we found the goal, as expected.

"It was an excellent victory."

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