Inter Milan will look to immediately respond to their Champions League defeat when they welcome Udinese Calcio to San Siro on Monday.
The reigning Serie A champions suffered their first defeat of the season against Real Madrid in midweek, while Udinese also enter the contest after losing their unbeaten start to Lazio.
Inter had made a perfect start to their domestic campaign before their trip to Madrid. Cristian Chivu’s side opened the Serie A season with three victories, including an impressive 3-2 comeback against Napoli last weekend. Inter initially fell two goals behind, but captain Lautaro Martinez produced another decisive performance, scoring twice.
Marcus Thuram also found the net as the Nerazzurri completed the comeback. Those three victories have produced an aggregate score of 8-3, underlining Inter’s attacking strength. Their Champions League defeat to Real Madrid will nevertheless be a concern. Defensive errors helped Madrid establish a two-goal advantage, and although Carlos Augusto’s late goal created a tense finish, Inter ultimately left the Bernabeu empty-handed.
Chivu will now want an immediate response before another major Serie A test against Roma. Meanwhile, Udinese have made a respectable start to the campaign despite losing their first league match last weekend. Kosta Runjaic’s side had remained unbeaten in Serie A while also progressing in the Coppa Italia, but Lazio ended that run with a 2-1 victory.
Udinese initially took the lead through captain Jesper Karlstrom, only to concede twice during the final 15 minutes. Before that setback, the Friulani had collected a draw against high-flying Como and defeated Monza away from home.
Their away form is particularly encouraging and Udinese have won four of their last six away matches, including their opening road fixture of this campaign. They also have recent experience of upsetting Inter at San Siro, having won there last season and ended a run of seven consecutive away defeats against the Nerazzurri.
Despite last season’s result, the overall head-to-head record heavily favours Inter and the Nerazzurri have won 18 of their last 23 Serie A meetings with Udinese, demonstrating their long-term dominance in this fixture.
Inter have also been particularly prolific at San Siro this calendar year, averaging 2.8 goals per Serie A home match. Udinese will therefore need another disciplined defensive performance if they are to repeat last season’s surprise victory.
Inter are likely to dominate possession and push Udinese deep, particularly given their need to respond after the Madrid defeat. Lautaro Martinez will again be central to their attacking plans. His ability to drop between the lines and combine with the forwards could cause problems for Udinese’s defensive structure.
The visitors are likely to rely on compact defending and quick transitions. Their recent away record suggests they are comfortable playing without the majority of possession. Inter’s main concern will be defensive concentration.
The mistakes against Real Madrid showed that even a dominant side can be punished if possession is lost in dangerous areas and Udinese will look to exploit exactly those moments. The Hard Tackle takes a look at how both sides could line up and what tactics they might employ on the day.
Team News & Tactics
Inter Milan
Inter Milan are expected to make a few adjustments following their UEFA Champions League defeat to Real Madrid. Curtis Jones made his first start for Inter in Madrid after impressing as a substitute against Napoli, while Benjamin Pavard and Carlos Augusto were also brought into the starting XI.
Federico Dimarco missed the match against Real Madrid with a minor injury but is expected to return against Udinese. His return should strengthen Inter’s attacking threat from the left wing-back position. Djed Spence remains unavailable, having only returned to training on Thursday.
Inter are expected to retain their 3-5-2 formation, with Josep Martinez in goal and Manuel Akanji, John Stones, and Alessandro Bastoni forming the three-man defence. In midfield, Andy Diouf, Piotr Zielinski, Hakan Calhanoglu, Curtis Jones, and Federico Dimarco should provide the central platform. Calhanoglu will be particularly important in controlling possession and supplying the forwards.
Up front, Lautaro Martinez and Pio Esposito are expected to lead the attack. The former arrives in excellent form after scoring a brace in Inter’s 3-2 comeback against Napoli. Inter’s main objective will be to respond immediately to the Real Madrid defeat. Their attacking numbers at San Siro have been excellent, averaging 2.8 Serie A goals per home match in 2026, and Udinese will need to defend extremely well to contain them.
Dimarco’s return should also give Inter an additional attacking outlet, particularly against an Udinese side that may defend deep and rely on counter-attacks.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Josep Martinez; Akanji, Stones, Bastoni; Diouf, Zielinski, Calhanoglu, Jones, Dimarco; Lautaro Martinez, Esposito
Udinese Calcio
Udinese will head to San Siro with several injury concerns after Jakub Piotrowski and Oumar Solet were both forced off during the 2-1 defeat to Lazio. They join a lengthy injury list that already includes Nicolo Zaniolo, Matteo Palma, Juan Arizala, and Alessandro Zanoli, leaving Kosta Runjaic with limited options as he prepares to face the reigning champions.
There is better news regarding Keinan Davis, who is expected to continue leading the line despite being withdrawn as a precaution against Lazio. Davis assisted Jesper Karlstrom’s goal in that match and should remain Udinese’s main attacking outlet. Udinese are expected to retain their 3-4-2-1 formation, with Maduka Okoye in goal and James Abankwah, Christian Kabasele, and Enzo Ebosse forming the back three.
Mergim Vojvoda and Hassane Kamara should operate as wing-backs, while Jesper Karlstrom and Lennon Miller provide the midfield base. Further forward, Jurgen Ekkelenkamp and Unai Gomez are expected to support Keinan Davis. The visitors will need to remain compact because Inter possess considerable attacking quality, particularly at San Siro.
Udinese’s best opportunity may come from counter-attacks, using Davis’s physicality and movement to exploit space behind Inter’s defensive line. Davis will also have extra motivation against Inter. He was directly involved in both goals when Udinese won at San Siro last season, scoring one and assisting the other. However, Udinese’s growing injury list could make it difficult to maintain their defensive organisation for the full 90 minutes.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Okoye; Abankwah, Kabasele, Ebosse; Vojvoda, Karlstrom, Miller, Kamara; Ekkelenkamp, Gomez; Davis
Key Stats
- Inter Milan have won all three of their Serie A matches this season, scoring eight goals and conceding three. A fourth straight victory would be their ninth such start in club history.
- Inter have won 18 of their last 23 Serie A meetings with Udinese (D2, L3).
- Inter have scored 36 goals in 13 Serie A home matches during 2026, averaging 2.8 goals per game at San Siro. Only Bayern Munich and Real Madrid have scored more home goals among Europe’s top-five leagues during that period.
- Inter Milan currently lead Serie A for possession (66%), duels won (61.6%) and shots attempted (73) this season.
- Udinese have scored in every competitive match this season, while Inter have kept just one clean sheet in their last six games.
Player to Watch
Lautaro Martinez
The Inter Milan captain is coming into the match in excellent form after scoring twice in the 3-2 comeback victory over Napoli, including the late winner that completed the turnaround. He also has an impressive record against Udinese. Martinez has scored seven Serie A goals against them, including the winner in the most recent meeting between the sides in January 2026.
His movement inside the penalty area, ability to combine with Inter’s forwards and instinct for finding decisive positions make him a major threat against an Udinese defence that will likely spend long periods under pressure. With Inter looking to respond immediately to their Champions League defeat and maintain their perfect domestic record, Martínez could once again be the decisive figure.
Prediction
Inter Milan 3-1 Udinese Calcio
Udinese have enough away form to make this uncomfortable for Inter Milan, particularly after their victory at San Siro last season. However, the home side’s domestic record, attacking quality and exceptional head-to-head record make them strong favourites. With Lautaro Martinez in excellent form and San Siro providing the perfect setting for a response after the Madrid defeat, Inter should have enough quality to secure another Serie A victory.
