After their derby defeat knocked them off the top of the Serie A standings, Inter Milan will be looking to bounce back when they visit Udinese on Saturday.
Last week, Inter lost to their rivals AC Milan, while Udinese’s unbeaten run was ended in Rome.
Inter, aiming for a record seventh consecutive win over Milan, faced a struggling Rossoneri at San Siro last Sunday, hoping to claim three points and rise to the top. However, the first Derby della Madonnina of the season didn’t go as planned. Milan took an early lead, and despite Federico Dimarco equalizing, they snatched a last-minute winner.
This painful defeat left Simone Inzaghi’s side in seventh place with just eight points, marking their first loss of the 2024-25 season. They haven’t won in their last three matches, including a draw against Manchester City in the Champions League, representing their longest winless streak since April 2023.
Still searching for their first away victory this season, the Nerazzurri have drawn all three of their away games, putting some pressure on Inzaghi to secure a win this weekend.
Historically, Inter has performed well in Udine, remaining unbeaten in 10 of their last 11 league matches there, with eight wins. So, they’ll be hoping to add more points to their tally.
On the other hand, Udinese has struggled against Inter, losing six of their last seven Serie A encounters and conceding an average of 2.7 goals per game. Their only victory in that stretch came over two years ago with a surprising 3-1 win at home.
This time around, Udinese finds themselves in a rare position, sitting third in the Serie A standings with 10 points, just one behind surprising leaders Torino. They could have taken the top spot themselves but recently suffered their first loss of the season, falling 3-0 to Roma.
However, they quickly bounced back by securing a spot in the Coppa Italia’s last 16 with a 3-1 win over Salernitana, despite fielding a rotated squad. Having won all four of their home games so far this season, including two cup matches, Udinese might feel confident that they can take advantage of Inter’s inconsistency and pull off an upset.
INJURIES & SUSPENSION
Simone Inzaghi is set to shake up his Inter lineup after their disappointing derby performance, with former Porto striker Mehdi Taremi leading the list of players eager to move up from the bench.
If Taremi returns to the starting XI, either Marcus Thuram or captain Lautaro Martinez might be left out. Martinez hasn’t found the net yet this season and has only scored once in his last 15 appearances.
In the midfield, Nicolo Barella’s thigh injury means either Piotr Zielinski or Davide Frattesi will step in this weekend. Notably, Zielinski has a good track record against Udinese, having scored four goals since leaving his first Serie A club over a decade ago.
On the Udinese side, the only confirmed absentee is former Inter star Alexis Sanchez, who hasn’t played a minute since returning this summer. However, midfielder Martin Payero and center-back Lautaro Giannetti are hopeful of overcoming minor injuries to be included in the matchday squad.
Kosta Runjaic will bring back his strongest lineup after rotating players midweek. Florian Thauvin, who has been directly involved in four goals in five league matches this season, will rejoin Lorenzo Lucca in the attack.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Udinese possible starting lineup:
Okoye; Kristensen, Bijol, Giannetti; Ehizibue, Lovric, Karlstrom, Kamara; Brenner, Thauvin; Lucca
Inter Milan possible starting lineup:
Sommer; Bisseck, Acerbi, Bastoni; Darmian, Frattesi, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Thuram, Martinez
EXPERT PREDICTIONS
Udinese 1-2 Inter Milan
Despite Udinese becoming a tougher opponent since the end of last season, Inter should still manage to secure their first away win of the season on Saturday.
While the reigning champions are experiencing a rough patch, their quality is likely to come through and earn them all three points.
