Inter Milan, the current Serie A leaders, will face Udinese this Saturday, looking to maintain their advantage at the top of the table. Inter recently secured a victory against Lecce, winning seven of their last eight league matches, placing them ahead of Napoli and AC Milan.
Match Preview
While Inter dropped points in a previous encounter with Napoli, they capitalized on Napoli’s recent draw against Parma, where the partenopei experienced their third consecutive stalemate. Inter’s win over Lecce was marked by two late goals from substitutes, enabling them to achieve a 19th win in 20 home matches against Lecce. This victory has kept coach Cristian Chivu’s team on course as they prepare for their Champions League match against Arsenal next week.
Inter aims to extend their impressive five-match away winning streak against Udinese, hoping to avenge their earlier loss to the Bianconeri in August, where they were notably defeated 2-0 at home.
Udinese’s Current Standing
Udinese currently sits 10th in the Serie A standings after 20 matches. Although they are comfortably placed in the mid-table, they are unlikely to contend for European competition this season. Recently, the team managed a draw against Pisa, after initially leading in that match. With a home record of three wins out of ten, Udinese faces a challenging task in overcoming Inter.
Team News
Inter will likely see key players return after rotating their squad in the midweek match, including top scorer Lautaro Martinez and midfielder Federico Dimarco. However, they will miss Hakan Calhanoglu, who is sidelined with a calf injury, along with Josep Martinez and Denzel Dumfries.
Udinese, meanwhile, will be without Nicolo Zaniolo due to a one-match ban from accumulated yellow cards. Adam Buksa is also out due to injury, while new signing Juan Arizala may feature on the bench. A potential attacking lineup could include Arthur Atta and Keinan Davis, with Vakoun Bayo returning to provide additional support after the Africa Cup of Nations.
Predicted Lineups
| Udinese | Inter Milan |
|---|---|
| Okoye | Sommer |
| Kristensen | Bisseck |
| Kabasele | Akanji |
| Solet | Bastoni |
| Zanoli | Henrique |
| Piotrowski | Barella |
| Karlstrom | Zielinski |
| Ekkelenkamp | Sucic |
| Kamara | Dimarco |
| Atta | Martinez |
| Davis | Esposito |
Match Prediction
Considering their superior form, Inter Milan is expected to secure a victory against Udinese. The Nerazzurri’s ability to dominate possession and score late in matches suggests they will come out on top.
Final score prediction: Udinese 0 – 2 Inter Milan.
