Inter's assistant coach Massimiliano Farris applauded his team's maturity in Sunday's 3-1 victory over Empoli in Serie A, which closed the gap to leaders Napoli. 

With manager Simone Inzaghi serving a touchline ban for accumulating yellow cards, Farris led Inter to a 14th triumph of the season at the 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, equalling their best total in terms of goals scored at this point of a Serie A campaign since 1960, set in 2021-22.

In their last eight league games, the Nerazzurri have collected 22 points out of 24, scoring 25 goals and conceding four, with Farris pleased with the patience shown by his players 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 spaces at the back. 

"Often, games are unlocked in the second half due to the work done in the first. And when Lautaro (Martinez) does what Lautaro does, there are no issues."

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 focus on the games to be played: before the match, we were six points behind, now it's three," he said.

"Right now, we don’t have time to look at the calendar, we only think about what needs to be done."

It was also a special night for goalscorer Martinez, who notched his 111th Serie A goal for Inter since his move from Racing Club back in 2018. 

The Agrentine's curled effort saw him equal the second-highest scoring foreign player for Inter in the Italian top-flight (111 for Mauro Icardi). Only Stefano Nyers (133) has scored more. 

But speaking after the game, Martinez conceded that trying to challenge Napoli for the remainder of the season would be tough.

"It’s going to be fascinating. We are three behind, we have a game in hand, but as always we need to focus on our own path, because Inter have to do better every single year," he told DAZN.