Inter Milan are vying to reach the Coppa Italia quarter-finals as they have to face the hurdle posed by Udinese in the upcoming clash at San Siro.
Simone Inzaghi will want his players to focus their efforts on the cup competition ahead of Thursday, as a place in the Coppa Italia quarter-finals is at stake. The Inter Milan boss will obviously target a dream quadruple to end the season, as this upcoming clash against Udinese poses a challenge in that aspect, albeit being a part of that dream.
At the weekend, Inter Milan made a big statement of where they want to be in the Serie A title race. The Nerazzurri swept title rivals Lazio aside away from home and returned to Milan with a 6-0 reverse scoreline. Some may argue they were a bit fortunate to have a two-goal lead in the first half, but that is largely because of Lazio’s profligacy rather than anything.
In any case, they went above Lazio in the standings and are only three points behind leaders Atalanta with a game in hand. The current focus will be on the Coppa Italia clash against Udinese, as Inzaghi will want a total performance to showcase their credentials across all competitions.
As Inter Milan are vying to win their tenth Coppa Italia title, Udinese are targetting their first, provided they can book their place in the competition’s quarter-final this season. They have a dismal recent record against Inter Milan, losing four straight games against the Nerazzurri, with the latest of that coming earlier this season, as Inzaghi’s side triumphed with a 3-2 scoreline.
At the start of the season, the primary objective for Udinese and their manager, Kosta Runjaic, would have been to prioritise not getting close to the relegation zone. However, the manager has performed well and while they have only one victory in their last seven games, Udinese are still ninth in the standings. As for the Coppa Italia game, a win over Inter Milan will ensure they take on Lazio in the quarter-finals.
Team News & Tactics
Inter Milan
Simone Inzaghi has resorted to regular rotations right from the early stages of the season, which has allowed him to have a good bill of health so far in the campaign. He is likely to continue that trend when facing Udinese, as some of his fringe stars are about to get started.
It won’t be surprising if Inzaghi benches key forwards Marcus Thuram and Lautaro Martinez, meaning the likes of Mehdi Taremi, Marko Arnautovic, and the barely used Joaquin Correa could get a chance to shine. The latter might come into the front two, with Arnautovic likely to get the nod to partner the Argentine.
Inzaghi might have to make higher calls with his defensive setup as there are absentees in Benjamin Pavard and Francesco Acerbi. Hence, Yann Bisseck and Stefan de Vrij are likely to feature alongside regular starter Alessandro Bastoni. Deputy goalkeeper Josep Martinez could also get a rare start in this cup game.
Carlos Augusto is likely to feature on the left wing. Tajon Buchanan could get the nod on the right wing, with Davide Frattesi and Kristjan Asllani set to feature in the midfield alongside Piotr Zielinski.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Martinez; Bisseck, de Vrij, Bastoni; Buchanan, Frattesi, Asllani, Zielinski, Augusto; Correa, Arnautovic
Udinese
Udinese may not have a stringent schedule like Inter Milan, meaning Kosta Runjaic may not have to make too many changes to his strongest side. However, some rotations are still expected for this cup clash.
There are some injury issues in the side with Sandi Lovric will miss the clash with a thigh problem sustained at the weekend against Napoli. He joins the likes of Oier Zarraga, Martin Payero, Keinan Davis and main keeper Maduka Okoye in the treatment room ahead of this midweek clash.
Runjaic also uses a similar setup to Inzaghi, meaning a back three and five in midfield are expected to feature. In the attack, striker Lorenzo Lucca is expected to lead the line alongside strike partner Iker Bravo in the front two.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Sava; Abankwah, Kabasele, Toure; Modesto, Karlstrom, Atta, Ekkelenkamp, Kamara; Bravo, Lucca
Key Stats
- Inter Milan have won the Coppa Italia nine times in their history.
- Inter Milan have lost just once in their last 15 games across all competitions.
- Udinese have lost their last four games against Inter Milan in all competitions.
- Udinese have only one victory in their last seven games.
Player to Watch
Alessandro Bastoni
The Nerazzurri defender has proved key with his availability and ability to be a constant presence at the back for Simone Inzaghi’s side. The Inter Milan manager will want the centre-back at his best, and while it will be a risk to overuse him, some injuries will force Inzaghi’s hand into making the Italian international play in midweek.
Bastoni will be key to Inter Milan’s season’s objective, which will be to win the quadruple. His presence in the neckline will be key in the title race, as well as the cup clashes, as the defender has not shown any signs of fatigue despite being one of the most used players in the Inter Milan squad.
Prediction
Inter Milan 3-0 Udinese
Udinese are not in the best form, especially given how they started their season in Serie A. A cup triumph will be a monumental achievement for Kosta Runjaic this season; he will not care if Udinese are eliminated from the competition, although the wider expectation would be to play a good game.
Inter Milan are on a roll, and while they suffered a rare defeat to Bayer Leverkusen, they have already shown signs of moving past that with that victory over Lazio. The Nerazzurri are playing on home turf and are expected to put in an accomplished performance against Udinese to reach the Coppa Italia quarter-finals.