Inter fought for an important victory over Empoli thanks to a goal from Keita, allowing them to keep the pressure on Napoli for second place. Inter manager Luciano Spalletti spoke with the press after the match.
"These are matches that become dangerous if you don't approach them with the right mentality and, at the beginning, we didn't play well. We weren't able to be strong in possession and then attack with flashes. We were better in the second half and kept focused on Empoli, who is a team that knows how to play in space. This was a fundamental victory and also earned."
"Keita? Everyone together cannot play, but if you're able to alternate and get the best from all players like what happened today with Keita, all goes well. Keita is a splendid guy and has a great way about him. He always jokes with the others and has fun. I found a person different from the chatter about him when he left Lazio."
Spalletti then spoke about the nerazzurri in 2019: "Marotta said that we need to raise a trophy? Yes, he's right. Juve will win the league because they have a large lead and stronger players than the other squads."
In conclusion, Spalletti spoke about Nainggolan, who entered the match as a sub: "We needed some energy, so that's why I selected him. We love him. Did he apologize? He's a sensitive guy, when you speak to him he has all the qualities of someone who acts in the right manner, but other times he gets attracted to things that don't bring out the best in him. At times, he puts 3-4 things above football."
