Title-bidding Inter head to Dacia Arena to take on mid-table Udinese in an exciting fixture that will drop the curtain on Sunday’s Serie A action. There is no margin for error in the travelling camp following a shock defeat at Bologna in midweek.
Second-choice goalkeeper Ionut Radu made an epic blunder which led to his side’s 2-1 defeat at Dall’Ara on Wednesday. After allowing bitter rivals Milan to move two points clear at the summit, Inter can ill-afford another slip-up in Udine if they are to remain competitive in the Scudetto race. Simone Inzaghi has already admitted his team will ‘try until the end’ to defend the crown.
By contrast, Udinese head into this matchday in high spirits after pulling off a sensational 4-0 triumph at Fiorentina in midweek Serie A action. Having reduced the gap on 10th-placed Sassuolo to three points, the Friulians have started dreaming about a first top-half finish since 2012/13.
Match Preview
Udinese
The abovementioned triumph in Florence served to arrest Udinese’s two-game winless Serie A streak (D1, L1) and give them a first clean sheet in league action since a 2-0 home win over Torino in early February. Indeed, a lack of defensive fortitude had seen the Friulians concede in 11 successive Serie A matches before Wednesday.
A stunning attacking showing at Artemio Franchi last time out saw Udinese score 4+ goals for the third time in six Serie A games, as many times as in their previous 163 outings in the competition. Before an underwhelming 1-0 defeat to relegation-threatened Salernitana in their most recent home match, they had netted nine goals in two Serie A fixtures at Dacia Arena.
Caretaker boss Gabriele Cioffi has every reason for optimism, even though his men have faltered against Inter of late. Udinese are winless in their last six eight Serie A meetings with the Nerazzurri (D2, L6), failing to get on the scoresheet in seven of them.
Inter
An underwhelming night at Dall’Ara snapped the visitors’ 11-game unbeaten Serie A streak away from home as Inter now face the prospect of losing back-to-back league games on the road for the first time since March 2020. Before Radu’s mistake, Inter had won four consecutive top-flight matches, three of which featured a two-goal margin.
In fact, Inter won more points per game in Serie A back in April (2.4), winning four of their five Serie A fixtures last month (L1). Another victory is well on the cards as the reigning Italian champions have won six of their eight previous league visits to Friuli (D2). Yet, the two draws in that period came in the last three match-ups, yielding a ‘nil-nil’ scoreline.
But even if they concede first, Inter should have enough confidence to bounce back and secure a result. Inzaghi’s men have gone unbeaten in all five Serie A matches in which they shipped the opening goal this season (W3, D2).
That’s the kind of mentality the Nerazzurri will have to put on display to bolster their hopes of winning back-to-back crowns for the first time in over a decade.
Udinese vs Inter Team News
Standout striker Beto and Antonio Santurro are unavailable for selection in the Udinese squad to injury, while Jean-Victor Makengo serves a one-game ban for accumulated yellow cards.
As for Inter, Alessandro Bastoni is ruled out with a calf injury, while Inzaghi cannot call upon the services of Hakan Calhanoglu due to suspension. But the visitors could force Samir Handanovic back to the fold.
Udinese Potential Starting XI (3-5-2): Marco Silvestri; Rodrigo Becao, Pablo Mari, Nehuen Perez; Nahuel Molina, Tolgay Arslan, Walace, Roberto Pereyra, Destiny Udogie; Gerard Deulofeu, Isaac Success.
Inter Potential Starting XI (3-5-2): Samir Handanovic; Milan Skriniar, Stefan de Vrij, Danilo D’Ambrosio; Matteo Darmian, Nicolo Barella, Marcelo Brozovic, Arturo Vidal, Ivan Perisic; Lautaro Martinez, Edin Dzeko.