MILAN – The Nerazzurri play their final match at San Siro this evening, with Empoli the visitors as part of Serie A Week 37.
Pull your Inter shirt on, turn Amala up to full blast and get in the mood for tonight’s 18:00 CEST kick-off with our comprehensive stat round-up, courtesy of Opta.
HEAD TO HEAD
Inter have won 15 of their 21 Serie A matches against Empoli, drawing three and losing three.
Empoli have scored 19 goals against Inter in their Serie A history, tying them with Napoli and Roma as the Tuscan outfit’s favourite opposition. That said, Empoli have conceded more goals to Inter (45) than any other Serie A side.
Empoli have managed just one point in seven league matches against the Nerazzurri.
Despite the fact that Inter have by far the better of the head-to-head record, the most common scoreline between the two teams is 1-0 to Empoli: all of the Azzurri’s three wins have been by a goal to nil.
PREVIOUS MEETINGS IN MILAN
There has never been a draw in ten previous Serie A meetings between Inter and Empoli at the Meazza. The Nerazzurri have won all but one of these matches – Empoli’s victory came back in January 2004.
The Nerazzurri have scored 12 goals in their last four league games against Empoli at San Siro. The Tuscans have only managed to score more than one goal in a single game against Inter at San Siro on one occasion – the 4-3 Inter win last time out.
FORM BOOK
Inter have lost ten league games this season, exactly the same number they’d lost at this stage last season.
The Nerazzurri have won six of their last seven home games (losing the other one to Torino) and are scored at least once in each of their last eight games at San Siro.
Empoli have failed to score in five of their last seven league games.
The Tuscan outfit have lost their last five away games and have gone four games without finding the net on the road.
Empoli have picked up 14 points fewer from their first 17 games of the second half of the season than they did from their first 17 games of the first half of the season, the worst stat of any Serie A team. Inter have 11 fewer points.
GENERAL STATS
Inter and Empoli have both scored just three goals in the first 15 minutes of matches – only Verona and Carpi (1) have done worse.
No team has scored fewer goals in the last 15 minutes of matches than Empoli and Carpi (5).
Inter have taken the most corners this season (232). Seven of these have resulted in goals.
Empoli have played fewest crosses this season with just 529, 17.8% of which had led to goals. Only Napoli (16.5%) have a worse cross-to-goal ratio.
Mancini’s side have the second-best first-half defensive record in the league with just 12 goals conceded (Juventus have the best with eight), while Empoli have the stingiest defence in the league after the 75-minute mark (four goal conceded).
Empoli – along with Udinese and Palermo – have scored fewer penalties than any other team: one.
Inter have conceded just two goals from outside the area this season, including efforts from open play and set pieces. No Serie A side has a better record.
No side has lost more points from winning positions than Empoli this season: 18.
PLAYER FOCUS
Mauro Icardi has scored three goals in his three Serie A games against Empoli, including his brace at San Siro in May 2015. The Argentine has had a role in five of Inter’s last seven Serie A goals: three goals and two assists.
Taking into account players that have reached double figures for league goals this season, Icardi (30%) has the second-highest shot-to-goal ratio after Mario Mandzukic (30.3%). Next in the list are Carlos Bacca (29.1%) and Icardi’s Inter team-mate Eder (26.5%).
Eder made his Serie A debut for Empoli in the 2006/07 season, making five appearances and scoring no goals. The Italian international later scored 27 goals and made five assists for the club in the 2009/10 season in Serie B. Eder has scored just once in 12 appearances for Inter, but scored 12 in 19 for Sampdoria before joining the Nerazzurri in January. Eder has faced Empoli in Serie A on two occasions, both of which came during his spell at Sampdoria. He scored in both games.
Massimo Maccarone is one goal away from his best-ever Serie A total of 13, which he set at Siena in the 2007/08 season.
Riccardo Saponara is still without a goal in 2016, having last found the net against Carpi on 13 December 2015 (18 matches ago). Saponara has produced ten assists this season, a stat bettered only by Paul Pogba (12). Saponara has laid on four of Empoli’s last six assists – Mario Rui has got the other two.
Mario Rui has only made two assists this season, but occupies sixth place in terms of chances created by a defender (31).
Leandro Paredes touches the ball an average of 93 times a match, the fourth-highest stat of any player this season.
Marko Livaja made six Serie A appearances for Inter in the 2012/13 season (one start).
Levan Mchedlidze is one game away from his 50th Serie A appearance. His last goal came against Inter last season, when he bagged a double. It’s Mchedlidze’s only Serie A brace.
Rodrigo Palacio also scored in that game, but has found the net just once in 26 league appearances for Inter this season.
Marcelo Brozovic scored his first Serie A goal against Empoli in May 2015.
Alberto Pelagotti has kept three clean sheets in his five Serie A appearances so far.
IN THE DUGOUT
Marco Giampaolo and Roberto Mancini have faced off four times in Serie A. Mancini has won three and drawn one of those matches.
Mancini has won ten, drawn two and lost just one of his 13 games against Empoli in Serie A.
Giampaolo has never beaten Inter in Serie A. Aside from a draw with Cagliari in October 2005, he’s lost six matches against the Nerazzurri.
REFEREE AND DISCIPLINE
Marco Di Bello will referee the game. It’ll be his 17th Serie A match of the season and his 42nd overall in the competition.
Di Bello has overseen nine home wins and four away wins this season.
It’ll be Inter’s first match under Di Bello in Serie A. Empoli have crossed paths with him on three occasions, winning one (away at Palermo in November) and losing the other two.
Only Napoli have committed fewer fouls than Inter this season (473 for the Nerazzurri and 427 for the Partenopei). Empoli have committed 485 fouls.
Inter have received a red card for every 43 fouls committed this season. No side has a better ratio this season.
SUSPENDED:
Inter: Murillo (one match).
Empoli: Mchedlidze (two matches).
AT RISK OF SUSPENSION:
Inter: Handanovic, Jovetic, Perisic, Telles.
Empoli: Buchel, Cosic, Costa, Maccarone.
