Inter Milan could temporarily open a six-point lead over second-placed Napoli on Sunday if they can manage to beat European hopefuls Udinese at San Siro.
Simeone Inzaghi will target a fifth consecutive win in all competitions when Inter Milan host Udinese at San Siro on Sundya. The Nerazzurri tightened their grip on the Serie A title race with a stellar win over fellow challengers Atalanta away from home before the international break.
Second-half strikes from Carlos Augusto and Lautaro Martinez proved enough to secure all three points, with the game ending on a fiery note. First, it was Atalanta’s Ederson who saw red, and at the very end of the match, Inter defender Alessandro Bastoni was sent off, meaning the centre-back will miss the clash against Udinese.
As for the title race, Inter Milan could at least hope to open a temporary six-point gap at the top as Napoli only engage with AC Milan in a late kick-off on Sunday. Should the Nerazzurri win against Udinese, it will add to the pressure on Antonio Conte’s side, although they will also be wary of Atalanta lurking not so far away in the standings.
Looking at the table and where Udinese are right now, there is still some hope for a European finish at the end of the campaign. Seventh-placed AS Roma occupy the final continental place which would let a team finish there playing the Conference league, and Kosta Runjaic will want a push to finish there.
However, Udinese sit in tenth place, nine points off Roma, which does make finishing in the top half a more realistic target for the Zebrette. In any case, their overall season has been a bit of a disappointment considering how they started the season, as a win at San Siro will certainly boost or build hope for a European finish.
Runjaic’s side did build momentum over the last month or so, with a six-game unbeaten run including four wins and a draw to title-chasing Napoli. Udinese were stopped in their tracks by the weakest defence in the league, as Hellas Verona managed to secure a surprise win over them, which was seen as a big blow to their larger ambitions.
Team News & Tactics
Inter Milan
The fortnight of international action has not been good for Simone Inzaghi, who will miss a few key stars as a result. First up, Alessandro Bastoni’s red card against Atalanta will see the key defender miss out for Inter Milan against Udinese. Denzel Dumfries barely played for the Netherlands with a problem, and he remains sidelined for this clash on Sunday.
The other big blow came from Argentina as skipper Lautaro Martinez withdrew from the national side following a hamstring injury. The extent of the striker’s problem remains the question, especially with the big clash with Bayern Munich around the corner.
There are further problems with the absence of Piotr Zielinski and Nicola Zalewski, although the duo are not the first-choice starters in Inzaghi’s main setup. Yann Bisseck should be the replacement for Bastoni on the left side of the back three, with Benjamin Pavard and Francesco Acerbi taking the other two positions.
Hakan Calhanoglu should keep his place at the base of the midfield, with Nicolo Barella and Henrikh Mkhitaryan on either side. Federico Dimarco and Darmian are fit again, as the duo will feature in the wing-back roles, while Mehdi Taremi should deputise for the injured Martinez to partner with Marcus Thuram in the Inter Milan frontline against Udinese.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Sommer; Pavard, Acerbi, Bisseck; Darmian, Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Thuram, Arnautovic
Udinese
Udinese are still missing former Inter Milan man Alexis Sanchez, while reserve keeper Razvan Sava joins long-term absentee Isaak Toure on the sidelines. On the positive side, Florian Thauvin has recovered from a foot problem and will be ready to start against the Nerazzurri.
Kosta Runjaic will deploy a standard 4-4-2 shape for this clash, and he will emphasise defensive solidity and use Thauvin to get an edge in the final third. Jaka Bijol and Oumar Solet are the preferred centre-backs for Runjaic, with Kingsley Ehizibue and Jordan Zemura preferred in the full-back roles.
Sandi Lovric and Jesper Karlstrom will marshall the central midfield spots, while Arthur Atta and Jurgen Ekkelenkamp will manage the wide roles for Udinese. Lorenzo Lucca and Thauvin will be the main options in a front-two for Udinese against Inter Milan.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Okoye; Ehizibue, Bijol, Solet, Zemura; Atta, Lovric, Karlstrom, Ekkelenkamp; Lucca, Thauvin
Key Stats
- Inter Milan have kept a clean sheet in five of their last seven home matches against Udinese in all competitions.
- Inter Milan have scored at least two goals in eight of their last nine matches against Udinese in all competitions.
- Udinese have not beaten Inter Milan since December 2017.
- Udinese are unbeaten in six of their last seven games in Serie A.
Player to Watch
Marcus Thuram
Inter Milan’s top scorer will come under more pressure to deliver in the clash against Udinese given the team are missing skipper and striker partner Martinez for this one. The Argentine’s injury is still unclear, and Simone Inzaghi will be hoping he is fit for the Bayern Munich clash. So, Thuram will also have to be kept in check as a problem with the Frenchman could see Inter Milan’s problems compound.
Hence, Thuram must deliver early in games like this one against Udinese and allow his body to rest as much as he can. While it is not the perfect strategy, should Inzaghi choose to have an impactful outcome to this idea, he will want Thuram to score early at the weekend and rest as much as possible.
Prediction
Inter Milan 2-0 Udinese
Udinese’s problems were laid to bare in the loss against Hellas Verona when they could not unlock the league’s weakest defence. Should they continue on the same trajectory, then there are even bigger problems waiting for their attack at San Siro, as Inter Milan are very strong at the back.
The bigger worry for Udinese will come in the form of Inter Milan’s attack, who, even without their skipper Martinez, will prove a handful for Kosta Runjaic’s men. With pressure truly on Simone Inzaghi rather than his counterpart to deliver, Inter Milan are expected to win this clash against Udinese with a comfortable scoreline and probably even keep a clean sheet to open a temporary six-point gap at the top of the table.
