The Nerazzurri can thank their defender Andrea Ranocchia, who avoided elimination by snatching the extension with a superb scissor in added time (2-2, 90th + 1st).
The joy of Inter Milan defender Andrea Ranocchia after scoring the 4th goal against Cagliari, in the round of 16 of the Italian Cup, on January 14, 2020 at the San Siro Stadium Miguel MEDINA AFP / Archives
And it was another player little used this season, Stefano Sensi, who relieved Inter with a pure strike during the extra thirty minutes (3-2, 104th).
By scoring quickly through Alexis Sanchez (13th), who came into play five minutes after the injury of Joaquin Correa (thigh), Inter, in a largely reorganized formation, however seemed to have left for a quiet evening.
But Tuscan goalkeeper Jacopo Furlan brilliantly kept his side in the game by intervening in front of Denzel Dumfries (20th) then Lautaro Martinez (29th).
Then Empoli took advantage of a sharp drop in Milan after the break to pull off the almost perfect shot.
Nedim Bajrami first equalized (61st).
Then the Nerazzurro goalkeeper Ionut Radu scored against his camp, pushing the ball into his cage after a header from Patrick Cutrone on his bar (76th)!
The Nerazzurri had the merit of waking up in time, with the support of a few holders launched in an emergency by Simone Inzaghi (Calhanoglu, Barella, Perisic and Dzeko).
Even if it was the players in the shadows who this time had the right to light, Ranocchia and Sensi, with their two jewels synonymous with extension and then qualification.
Inter Milan's Italian midfielder Stefano Sensi during the Serie A Round 19 match against Torino on December 22, 2021 at the San Siro Stadium MIGUEL MEDINA AFP/Archives
The Nerazzurri will host AS Roma or Lecce in the next round, the only survivors of Serie B, who will compete for the final quarter-final ticket on Thursday.
Sassuolo, Wednesday winner of Cagliari (1-0), is also qualified.
The Neroverdi will challenge defending champion Juventus in the quarterfinals.
© 2022 AFP