Inter's assistant coach Massimiliano Farris hailed his team's maturity during Sunday's 3-1 win over Empoli in Serie A to close the gap on leaders Napoli.
With manager Simone Inzaghi serving a touchline ban for accumulating yellow cards, Farris led Inter to a 14th win of the season at San Siro on Sunday.
Lautaro Martinez, Denzel Dumfries and substitute Marcus Thuram were all on target despite Inter loanee Sebastiano Esposito reducing the deficit in the 83rd minute.
Inter have now scored 51 goals in their 20 league games this season, equaling their best total in terms of goals scored at this point in a Serie A season since 1960, set to take place in 2021-2022.
In their last eight league games, the Nerazzurri have amassed 22 points from 24, scoring 25 goals and conceding four, with Farris pleased with the patience his players showed after a frustrating opening period.
“The team had a very mature approach; it doesn't always mean coming out aggressively,” Farris told reporters.
“We immediately found an Empoli side that focused on closing off spaces at the back.
“Often games are unlocked in the second half because of the work done in the first half. And if Lautaro (Martinez) does what Lautaro does, there are no problems.”
Farris added that they were not focusing on the table, with Inter now three points behind Napoli at the top of the table, but with a game in hand over Antonio Conte's side.
“We are focusing on the games we have to play: before the match we were six points behind, now it is three,” he said.
“Right now we don't have time to look at the calendar, we just think about what needs to be done.”
It was also a special night for goalscorer Martinez, who scored his 111th Serie A goal for Inter since joining from Racing Club in 2018.
The Agrentine's failed attempt equaled the second-highest scoring foreign player for Inter in the Italian top flight (111 ahead of Mauro Icardi). Only Stefano Nyers (133) scored more.
But after the match, Martinez admitted it would be difficult to challenge Napoli for the rest of the season.
“It's going to be fascinating. We are three behind, we still have a game in hand, but as always we have to focus on our own path because Inter have to do better every year,” he told DAZN.
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