Lazio coach Simone Inzaghi was happy to overcome Empoli on Sunday.

The only goal of the game came from Marco Parolo.

"It was a very important match for us and we knew it would be a struggle against an Empoli side that plays really good football," Inzaghi told Sky Sport Italia.

“They dominated Serie B last season and did very well in the first few games of Serie A. We could've done a lot better in the first half, but then emerged in the second with more determination.

“We should've killed them off, but instead risked conceding an equaliser that would've been very negative for our standings. Now we begin the tour de force with Europa League fixtures too and learned it's tough in Serie A even against the smaller clubs this year.

“It's crucial that we start strong, as it's a difficult Europa League group."