Udinese vs. Inter Milan: Match Preview, Odds & Prediction

Udinese presents an opportunity for Inter to get back on track after a dismal start that ended with a loss in the Derby della Madonnina against AC Milan, fierce rivals. The local squad has won every game this season, so Saturday afternoon should be an excellent time to catch them at Stadio Friuli.

Previous Matches and Head-to-head

In a 0-1 away victory over Frosinone, Udinese avoided relegation to Serie B last season thanks to a game in which former World Cup champion Fabio Canavaro scored the game-winning goal. Canavaro left the club in the summer after finishing his contract, and the owner brought in Kosta Runjaic in the hopes of a more robust season this time around, free of relegation fears.

The German manager, born in Austria, began his career in German football's lower ranks. However, he secured Udinese's hiring after landing his first significant post as head coach of Legia Warsaw, where he led the Polish giants back to Europe.

With a full roster available during the summer, Udinese began preseason training with seven friendly matches (W4D1L2), which helped determine the starting eleven for the Coppa match against Avellino.

After solidifying their position as favorites to advance with a 4-0 victory, Udinese traveled to Bologna, an outfit in the Champions League, hoping for a win. Coming back from behind to settle for a draw (1-1) against a strong opponent didn't stop the Zebras from leaving the pitch unblemished.

After a strong start, Udinese returned to Stadio Friuli and won their next two matches, a 2-1 home victory over Lazio and a 1-0 victory over Como. This moved them up to second place in the league, behind leaders Juventus. Kosta Runjaic's squad shocked everyone with a 3-2 victory, even though the trip away to in-form Parma was a tough test.

But in the capital, Roma handed Udinese one of their most recent crushing defeats (3-0), ending their impressive run and sending the Zebras back to earth.

Since Simone Inzaghi took over as coach, Inter Milan's meteoric rise to the top of Italian and European football has been brutal to miss. Last season, the Nerrazzuri won the Scudetto with a 19-point lead over AC Milan, following a dramatic Champions League final loss to Manchester City in 2023.

Even though they were well-positioned to maintain their lead in Italian football for the foreseeable future, the visitor's inexplicably quiet summer transfer market jeopardized their chances of defending the Scudetto. Inter failed to bring in any significant players despite the departure of key players like Edin Dzeko and Alexis Sanchez.

Inter failed miserably in the opening round of their title defense against Genoa (2-2), playing with the brakes pulled. Nevertheless, following up the draw with Lecce (2-0) and Atalanta (4-0), Simone Inzaghi's squad seemed poised to dominate Serie A again.

But Simone Inzaghi opted to rest essential players against Monza because a rematch of the 2023 Champions League final versus Manchester City, the first stern test, was coming up at the Etihad Stadium. Inter lost a lot of ground because of the decision, and they drew 1-1.

As they made the treacherous journey north of England, the Serie A champions were massive underdogs facing Manchester City. Nevertheless, Simone Inzhagi demonstrated his tactical brilliance by utterly shutting down the Premier League winners in what is generally considered an exquisite display of Italian strategy.

Inter, who are back in domestic action and face another tough challenge ahead, were stunned when AC Milan won the Derby della Madonnina thanks to a late goal by Matteo Gabbia; as a result, the champions fell to sixth place, three points behind leaders Torino.

Udinese x Inter Milan Team News

With Alexis Sanchez and Gerard Deulofeu out with injuries, Udinese need more options up front. The latter will be out for quite some time following knee surgery in January 2023, but the Chilean star has been sidelined since August due to calf issues.

After his impressive performance against Parma, Florian Thauvin will be given another start. With two goals, the former France international helped his squad to a crucial victory.

Numerous important players lost fitness, so Inter coach Simone Inzaghi had to make some surprising team changes against AC Milan due to a lack of fresh legs. Even if the midfield master Nicolo Barella was substituted in the 74th minute owing to exhaustion, he is still a heavy favorite to start against Udinese.

Our Predictions

Inter Milan to win @ 1.50 on Sky247.ng

After losing the Derby della Madonnina to AC Milan, Inter faces yet another tough test. We still expect the Nerazzurri to score a hat trick because several of their important players are back in full match shape after a six-day break.

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