Serie A Preview: Udinese vs Inter – Team News, Lineups & Prediction | OneFootball

Inter Milan’s Serie A title quest continues away to perennial mid-table strugglers Udinese on Saturday afternoon. After a 2-1 defeat in August’s reverse fixture, the Nerazzurri will be out to enact revenge on their underperforming hosts.

Udinese failed to hold onto their halftime lead in last weekend’s 2-2 home draw against newly promoted Pisa. As a result, they remain stuck in mid-table, eight points adrift of sixth-placed Como. Another winless outing would likely land a knockout blow on their hopes of securing European qualification.

Worryingly, the Friulians have picked up just 11 points from their last ten league matches (W3, D2, L5), with both those draws arriving in their two most recent home games. Given who is on the other side this time, there’s no doubt that head coach Kosta Runjaic would likely sign up for a point before the kick-off.

Visiting Inter bounced back from a gut-wrenching 2-2 home draw against Napoli last Sunday with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over relegation-battling Lecce in midweek. Francesco Pio Esposito’s 78th-minute winner inspired the Nerazzurri to their 15th win in the opening 20 Serie A rounds for only the fifth time in club history since the 1993/94 season.

More importantly, that victory saw Inter extend their lead over defending champions Napoli to six points. However, there’s no room for complacency, with second-placed Milan sitting just three points behind.

Match Preview

Udinese

Despite dropping points in their last two home league games, Udinese demonstrated their fighting spirit, fighting back from a deficit to avoid defeat on each occasion. Furthermore, Runjaic’s men have overcome better-positioned Napoli and Atalanta at the Bluenergy Stadium since the beginning of November, suggesting this won’t be plain sailing for Inter.

Udinese will be looking to punch above their weight again and secure back-to-back Serie A wins over Inter for the first time since the 2012/13 campaign, which was also the last time they completed the double over the Nerazzurri. That could prove easier said than done, considering they’ve lost three of their four home league meetings since May 2022 (W1).

The Friulians will likely wave goodbye to their hopes of upsetting the odds here if they concede the opening goal. Indeed, they’ve rescued just three points from six home league matches when falling behind (D3, L3). Adding to this sentiment, they scored precisely once in four of their last six top-flight outings in Udine.

Inter

In stark contrast to Udinese’s profligacy in front of goal, Inter netted at least two goals in ten of their last 14 Serie A games on the road. Moreover, only Milan (22) have accumulated more away points this season than Inter’s 21 (W7, L2), with the Nerazzurri winning five such matches in succession since a 3-1 loss at Napoli in late October.

Overall, they have won seven of their last eight league fixtures (D1), setting themselves up perfectly for this trip. However, with a high-stakes Champions League showdown against Arsenal around the corner, Cristian Chivu could rotate his squad here. Anyway, a fast start will be imperative for the visitors, who have yet to win a single point from losing positions this term.

That may not be a problem this time, as they’ve kept consecutive away clean sheets in Serie A for the second time under Chivu. Still, entertainment has been relatively sparse in Inter’s recent away league games, with three of the last four featuring under 2.5 goals, highlighting the potential for a low-scoring contest.

Team News

Udinese cannot call upon standout forward Nicolo Zaniolo, who accumulated five yellow cards against Pisa last time out. In addition to the Italian forward, Runjaic will be without Polish striker Adam Buksa, meaning Kienan Davies is likely to spearhead the home side’s attack.

Meanwhile, Inter will take this trip without long-term absentees Denzel Dumfries, Raffaele Di Gennaro, and Tomas Palacios, as well as star playmaker Hakan Calhanoglu. After a bleak midweek performance, Marcus Thuram is likely to drop to the bench in favor of Lautaro Martinez.

Udinese vs Inter Potential Starting Lineups

Udinese (3-5-1-1): Okoye; Kristensen, Kabasele, Solet; Zanoli, Piotrowski, Karlstrom, Ekkelenkamp, Kamara; Atta; Davis.

Inter (3-5-2): Sommer; Bisseck, Akanji, Bastoni; Henrique, Barella, Zielinski, Sucic, Dimarco; Martinez, Esposito.

Udinese vs Inter Prediction

Assuming lightning never strikes twice, Inter should have enough quality and depth to avenge August’s defeat and leave Udine with all three points. Udinese won’t go down without a fight, yet it’s hard to envisage anything other than the visitors’ clear-cut victory.