Inter will seek redemption for last weekend’s derby upset when they take on Serie A surprise package Udinese on Saturday afternoon. Simone Inzaghi’s charges head to the Bluenergy Stadium to banish the demons of a 2-1 loss to arch-rivals Milan a week ago.
Like Inter, Udinese slipped up on matchday five. Their impressive four-game unbeaten league start under new manager Kosta Runjaic ended abruptly at the Stadio Olimpico last Sunday (W3, D1). Roma gave Runjaic’s side a rude awakening, thumping them 3-0 on Ivan Juric’s touchline debut.
However, it didn’t take long before Udinese bounced back from a disappointing night in the capital. The Friulians brushed second-tier Salernitana aside with a 3-1 victory in midweek Coppa Italia action, setting themselves up nicely for this ominous-looking fixture. Restoring positive momentum may not be enough to overcome Inter here.
When Federico Dimarco leveled the score midway through the first half of last Sunday’s Derby della Madonnina, it seemed like Inter would extend their six-game winning run against Milan. Instead, Matteo Gabbia slotted home a late header to end Inter’s purple patch against the Rossoneri and throw more skepticism on their sluggish Serie A start.
Despite being deemed odds-on favorites to become the first team to defend the Scudetto in five years, Inter look vulnerable to the ‘reigning holder’ curse. Inzaghi’s men have only won twice in the opening five rounds (D2, L1) but trail table-topping Torino by just three points, nonetheless.
Match Preview
Udinese
Last season was a disaster for Udinese, especially on home turf. They won a league-low one home match in the 2023/24 Serie A campaign (D11, L7). It was perhaps the main reason they fought for their top-flight survival until the final day. However, the narrative changed after Runjaic’s appointment.
The former Legia Warsaw manager has transformed Udinese into a legitimate home side, overseeing four wins in as many competitive outings at the Bluenergy Stadium this season. Como and Lazio have stumbled on this ground in Serie A, while Avellino and Salernitana finished their Coppa Italia journey here.
Udinese boasted a halftime lead on all four occasions, highlighting the potential for a quick-fire start. They’ll desperately need another sublime first-half performance to deal with Inter after losing eight of their last 11 top-flight encounters at this venue (W1, D2), including a 2-1 defeat in this corresponding fixture in April.
Inter
The abovementioned loss against Milan didn’t only deny Inter a chance to become the first side in Derby della Madonnina history to win seven consecutive matches. It also rounded off their worst five-game start to a Serie A campaign in terms of points since 2018/19.
Inzaghi must stem the bleeding to avoid further pressure. Yet, Inter have recently stuttered on their travels. A spirited 0-0 stalemate against Manchester City in their Champions League opener was encouraging. Still, that result means they’ve drawn their last three competitive away games.
That underwhelming run forms part of the visitors’ dismal record of just one victory from their last six road trips across all competitions (D4, L1). Considering that lone success came against relegated Frosinone, it’s fair to say that Inter’s win in Udine is anything but a foregone conclusion.
On top of that, Inter captain Lautaro Martinez is a mere shadow of a lethal striker who won the Capocanninere award last term. The Argentine has yet to find the net this term, and his return to form could be the key to unlock Inter’s revival.
Team News
Long-term absentee Gerard Deulofeu is still out. Alexis Sanchez has to wait a while longer before making his second debut for Udinese after returning to the club this summer. Lautaro Giannetti and Martin Payero are battling minor injuries, but both should be fit for this clash.
As for Inter, Nicolo Barella headlines the list of missing players after succumbing to a thigh injury. He has joined Tajon Buchanan on the sidelines, while Marko Arnautovic faces the race against time to make himself available for selection.
Barella’s absence will be an opportunity for Davide Frattesi or Piotr Zielinski to return to the starting XI.
Udinese vs Inter Potential Line-ups
Udinese (3-4-2-1): Maduka Okoye; Thomas Kristensen, Jaka Bijol, Lautaro Giannetti; Kingsley Ehizibue, Sandi Lovric, Jesper Karlstrom, Hassane Kamara; Brenner, Florian Thauvin; Lorenzo Lucca.
Inter (3-5-2): Yann Sommer; Yann Bisseck, Francesco Acerbi, Alessandro Bastoni; Matteo Darmian, Davide Frattesi, Hakan Calhanoglu, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Federico Dimarco; Marcus Thuram, Lautaro Martinez.
Udinese vs Inter Prediction
Every rotten patch must end, and this feels to be Inter’s time to post their first away win this season. Despite Udinese’s resurgence under Runjaic, we back the visiting team to take home three points, albeit by the thinnest of margins.
Prediction: Inter to Win
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