Carlos decisive, Barella everywhere: the five best moments from Inter vs. Udinese | OneFootball

At the final whistle, San Siro erupts into song and applause for an Inter side who are brilliant, spectacular, entertaining and still winning. An early scare was needed to spark the flame, with two goals conceded in quick succession bringing out the Nerazzurri’s attacking firepower. Matchday four brought a second consecutive comeback at home, once again from two goals down. This time, Chivu’s side scored five, throwing themselves into the fightback and showing a ruthless desire to finish the job. The match against Udinese delivered another three points, taking Inter’s tally to 12: four wins from four and a perfect record, something that had not happened since 2023/24. They share top spot with Roma, their next Serie A opponents. It was an open, thrilling contest, packed with moments of footballing brilliance that drew thunderous applause and technical gems that prompted gasps of admiration around the stands.

Let’s relive Inter’s clash with Udinese through five moments, five snapshots that have stayed in the memory from matchday four.

CARLOS, A THUNDERBOLT

After 16 minutes, the scoreboard at San Siro reads Inter 0-2 Udinese. The Nerazzurri are stunned, caught cold by two incisive attacks from Runjaić’s side. There is still everything to play for, but they need a spark to bring the game back to life, an opening blow to respond to the Bianconeri’s one-two punch. And it is quite literally a flash of brilliance that gets the contest back underway. In the 26th minute, Bastoni wins the ball back in midfield and Inter break forward. Mkhitaryan gets to the byline and sends a cross in from the left, but the Friulian defence clears. The ball falls to Carlos Augusto, who takes a touch and does not hesitate: the Brazilian unleashes a thunderous strike from more than 25 metres out. The ball flies beautifully through the air before finding the far corner to Okoye’s left. A ferocious diagonal effort that brings the Nerazzurri and San Siro back to life, like a splash of cold water jolting everyone awake. It is Carlos’ second goal in consecutive games, following his strike at the Bernabéu, and takes him level with his total number of goal involvements from the whole of last season. Carlos Augusto has made a flying start to the campaign, making his presence felt and proving decisive defensively too: he runs, wins the ball back, reads the game and keeps his concentration high. After Inter levelled through Barella, the Brazilian made another crucial intervention, stepping in ahead of Unai Gómez. Miller carries the ball into the final third and plays a one-two with Davis, receives the return pass and attempts to thread the ball through to Gómez. A brilliant idea, but Carlos reads it early, cuts out the passing lane and prevents the Spaniard from getting through on goal.

BARELLA'S ELECTRICITY

After Carlos Augusto’s goal, the intensity of the Nerazzurri’s pressure rises dramatically, and there is one player in particular who seems to be occupying three or four positions at once. Nicolò Barella is everywhere: snapping at opponents, disrupting passing lanes, making himself available and moving the ball on, showing the way. A technical and emotional leader. It is no coincidence that he is the one to score the deserved equaliser, with a goal that perfectly embodies his approach to the game: no ball is ever considered lost, even after hitting the deck. Barella is literally on the ground just moments before scoring the 2-2: the Nerazzurri number 23 slips inside the box after getting on the end of Thuram’s lay-off, but with all the electricity coursing through him, he somehow gets back to his feet in an instant and uses his momentum to dribble and shoot. He is in a tight position on the right, but Barella strikes the ball from high to low, giving it a swerve that completely wrong-foots Okoye. The goal, however, does not fully capture Barella’s enormous contribution. He wins back the ball from which the move for the 2-2 begins, and he is the one who sends Diouf through, creating the opportunity for the 3-2. Nicolò roars, and the stadium roars with him. He beckons his teammates over with sweeping gestures before sprinting back towards the halfway line: a snapshot that encapsulates his powerful start to the season, a sign that the work has only just begun.

THURAM AGAIN

Marcus Thuram continues to make his mark, extending a run that stretches back to the end of last season, when the Tikus settled decisive matches for the Scudetto with a string of goals. After his header made it 2-2 against Napoli, Thuram scored the goal that sealed the comeback against Udinese, making it 3-2. After 57 minutes of physical battles and pressing, with chances thwarted by Okoye and the Bianconeri defence, Marcus was in the right place inside the box to turn home Diouf’s third assist of the league campaign. Just like a week ago, his celebration is full of fury, reflecting his attitude on the pitch: aggression, leading the press as the first man to put pressure on the build-up, a desire to win the ball back and to drive his team forward. Thuram slides towards the stand, points to his chest and then puts his hands to his ears before finally breaking into his trademark smile. A smile that has been a constant for months in the Nerazzurri shirt, with Marcus having contributed to 12 goals in the league since April (eight goals and four assists). Only Malen, with 15 goal involvements, has done better in Serie A over the same period. It was a complete performance against Udinese, earning him the Man of the Match award at the final whistle. Powerful, inspirational, decisive: keep it going, Marcus!

ZIELIŃSKI’S MASTERY

“Some players would have taken the shot from there, but I saw that Pio had found some space and I thought I’d play him in.” Piotr Zielinski’s words, as he reflected after the match on the visionary assist that put Pio Esposito through for the 4-2. A moment of brilliance conceived and executed in an instant, completely taking the Udinese defence out of the equation. A gem to cap a wonderful team move built on quality, quick combinations, understanding and technique. Quality was precisely the aspect Piotr highlighted when discussing Inter’s comeback, and it flowed beautifully from his feet. Another masterclass in midfield, with an outstanding display in terms of the quality of his play, his timing and his distribution, crowned by that sumptuous assist that allowed Pio to score the fourth goal and put Inter firmly in control of the match. A perfectly weighted ball played through the middle, spotting a narrow channel and threading the pass through it to catch the Bianconeri defenders off guard, as they prepared to throw themselves in front of any potential effort from the Pole. Instead, the result was to put Esposito one-on-one with the goalkeeper and send San Siro into celebration for the fourth time.

EVERYONE’S CONTRIBUTION

When Bonny puts the ball into the net in the 79th minute to make it 5-2, Thuram springs from the bench to join him by the corner flag and celebrate. It was a goal Ange-Yoan wanted and fought for, throwing himself into a slide to turn Okoye’s save from his first effort into a goal at the second attempt. It was another reminder that those who come on during the game are ready to give 100 per cent and make their contribution. The team’s embrace showed how everyone was involved, while the level of concentration maintained on the pitch demonstrated their determination to make their mark. Chivu reiterated the importance of this aspect after the match during a long and demanding season in which Inter want to be protagonists. Players called upon from the bench can make an impact and prove decisive: against Udinese, Bonny did exactly that, while Stankovic came close too, clipping the post with a free-kick in the closing stages. Inter remain perfect after four matches, driven by a strong and united group capable of responding to setbacks while always maintaining their identity.