After finishing second and only seven points away from winning the Scudetto the year before, Inter started the 2003-04 season with high expectations.
However, the season got off to a rocky start, as the team only managed two victories in the first seven rounds and were winless in the month of October.
Despite the impressive 0-3 victory against Arsenal at Highbury during their “Invincible” season, manager Hector Cuper was fired after a 2-2 tie against relegation fighting Brescia and replaced by Alberto Zaccheroni.
Under the guidance of Zaccheroni, Inter had turned their season around and ended the first half of the season on an impressive six game winning streak, losing just once since changing manager in October.
As the season was winding down, Inter traveled to the Stadio Carlo Castellani to face Empoli for their last game of the season.
Going into the match, the Nerazzurri were in fantastic form, winning six of their last eight games, including a very crucial 1-0 win at home against Parma, the team they were fighting for the last UEFA Champions League spot. With just a point separating Parma and Inter for the fourth place battle, Inter needed a win at Empoli in round thirty-four!
The hosts for the crucial match found themselves in a relegation battle along with Perugia, Modena and Ancona. Being three points away from avoiding relegation, Empoli also found themselves in a must win situation to have any chance of remaining in Italy’s top flight.
However with an in-form Nerazzurri side, led by young Brazilian, Adriano, it was a very tough ask.
Both sides had lined up in a traditional 4-4-2 formation. For Inter, Francesco Toldo started in goal with Ivan Cordoba, Marco Materazzi, Javier Zanetti and Carlos Gamarra in defence. Emre Belozoglu, Cristiano Zanetti, Kily Gonzalez, Stankovic played in midfield and then there was the attacking duo of Adriano and Obafemi Martins.
To defend the home turf and a right to remain in Serie A, Empoli had Daniele Balli in goal; Cribari, Belleri, Lucchini and Ficini in defence; Giampieretti, Vargas, Busce, Vannucchi in the middle; and a dangerous attacking duo of Antonio Di Natalie and Tomasso Rocchi.
Right from the start, both sides showed an aggressive attitude, not shying away from hard tackles and showing attacking intent.
This allowed Inter to find early counter-attack opportunities with Stankovic pushing the ball up and Martins coming back to link with the midfield and provide scoring opportunities for Adriano as the target man.
With both Adriano and Martins in attack, Inter were using their speed to their advantage as Empoli were finding it hard to prevent the attackers from getting in behind the defense earlier on.
Stankovic’s accurate passes and lethal strike from distance were also a constant threat and forced defenders to step off their line to prevent Deki from striking from range.
Despite early shots on goal, Inter were unable to take the lead. Empoli got a golden chance around the eighteen-minute mark as Kily Gonzalez turned the ball over in midfield and the ensuing counter-attack saw Rocchi running in behind Cordoba and Materazzi.
He received the ball at the edge of the box which forced a tactical foul by Materazzi, which gave Empoli a free-kick at a dangerous spot. Toldo saved the free-kick however the rebound was brilliantly struck on the volley by Lucchini from outside the box to give Empoli an early lead at home.
Determined to meet their targets, the Nerazzurri stayed calm and continued to push for the equalising goal.
In committing men forward to create scoring opportunities, though, they further exposed their defence, and so Empoli came close to adding to their lead – however Toldo’s brilliant saves kept the score at 1-0 in favor of the home side.
Inter’s midfield was dictating the tempo of the game and were in full control. As the game approached half-time, Inter finally tied the game as Adriano used his physical presence inside the box to head home a looping strike to the far left corner of the post. The pressure visibly lifted off the players as they ran after Adriano to celebrate.
The late first-half goal by Adriano completely changed the approach for both teams going into second half.
With both teams needing the win, neither could afford to sit back and play strictly on the counter.
Empoli, forced to defend for most of the first half, showed tremendous attacking intent in the second, with both strikers and midfield testing Toldo from range.
Zaccheroni, seeing his team lose control of the game, brought on Alvaro Recoba for Martins, to give his team the advantage in midfield.
And the move paid off instantly, as the substitute scored from a powerful free-kick from his majestic left foot to give Inter a crucial 2-1 lead.
Refusing to sit on their laurels, Zaccheroni’s men were determined to add more goals to secure both the win and fourth spot in the league standings.
Having dominated the majority of the game thus far, Adriano started connecting really well with Recoba.
On one such occasion the Brazilian showed the world the brilliance he was capable off, as he dribbled through the entire Empoli defence and used his power to hold off the defender from one hand and side-step the goal-keeper to score Inter’s third goal of the match, to give his team a comfortable 3-1 lead.
With twenty-five minutes left to play in the game, Empoli fought back and relied on Di Natalie and Rocchi’s movements inside the box to create scoring opportunities.
Rocchi managed to pull one back for the home side, however the game ended in favour of Inter with a 2-3 scoreline and thus the Nerazzurri secured a second consecutive qualification to the Champions League.
