Inter Milan’s quest for successive Scudetto titles will continue this weekend when they host an impressive Udinese side at the San Siro on Sunday.
The race for the Serie A title is heating up, and this weekend’s round of matches will be another opportunity for Inter to extend their stay at the top of the table as Napoli continue to close in on them.
The Nerazzurri are on course for back-to-back Scudetto titles after clinching last season’s title. However, there’s a stark difference between this season’s title challenge and the previous season’s.
Last season, there were no challengers as Simone Inzaghi’s side raced 19 points clear at the top of the table.
Their supposed rivals, AC Milan, were struggling, and their inconsistency saw head coach Stefano Pioli depart the club in the summer.
Juventus, which started the season strongly, also allowed inconsistencies to set in. Similar to this season, draws were the common theme for Massimiliano Allegri’s side, as their 14 draws were the second most in the league.
Last season’s defending champions, Napoli, endured the biggest slump. They exemplified an on-pitch definition of fall from grace, finishing the season in 10th place on 53 points.
As Confucius would say, ‘The greatest glory is not in never falling but in rising every time we fall.’ Napoli’s rise under Antonio Conte has provided Inter with a much stronger, consistent competitor for the title this season, and the race could go down to the wire.
The Nerazzurri are just three points above the Gli Azzurri, and they cannot afford to drop points in their next game against Udinese at San Siro.
With 19 wins this season, the most in Serie A, Inzaghi’s side has ensured that the goals count in their games. Their 65 goals scored are the most by any team in the Italian top flight.
They also have the joint fewest number of losses this season, with just three, alongside Juventus, which recently sacked their coach, Thiago Motta.
Having lost just one game from the start of the season in August until December, two of Inter’s three losses this season have come this year: 3-0 to Fiorentina and 1-0 to Juventus away from home.
Their home form is reputable, and they hope to extend their unbeaten streak to five games across all competitions and three in a row in Serie A.
After escaping relegation by just two points last season, Udinese are having a turnaround campaign under Kosta Runjaić this season.
They comfortably sit in 10th place on the Serie A table with 40 points, with Milan in 9th with 47.
While European qualification appears to be a distant accomplishment, the Friulani can be proud of their achievement this season. Their target now is a potential top-half finish.
At this stage of the season, they’ve accumulated 40 points already, two more than last season when they finished the 2023-24 campaign with 37 points.
Their 11 wins after 29 games is five more than they achieved in 38 games last season (six). With 35 goals so far, they’re also on course to outscore their overall previous season’s goal tally (37).
Runjaić now faces the uphill task of revoking an unwanted record against an Inter side that has been a thorn in their flesh in recent years. They head into this clash, losing seven of the last eight games against the Nerazzurri and conceding 22 goals.
On a positive note, they’re in good form and will be in good spirits ahead of this clash. Although they lost their last game at home against Verona, they’ll hope to make amends by causing a potential upset, just like they did in the 1-1 draw against second-placed Napoli in February.
Team news
Polish midfielder Piotr Zielinski has been ruled out for the next month; veteran defender Stefan de Vrij is a significant doubt.
Former Napoli midfielder Piotr Zielinski is facing a spell on the sidelines with an injury. He will likely not feature in the following weeks as he continues to step up his recovery.
Dutch centre-back Stefan de Vrij remains doubtful for this game after missing Inter’s last two games.
While Nicola Zalewski and Matteo Darmian have returned to training, Alessandro Bastoni will miss the clash due to suspension.
Federico Dimarco utilised the league break to fully recover from the injury that had sidelined him for Inter’s previous four matches. As reported by Sky Sport, the Italian full-back will join the team for training, making himself available for Sunday’s fixture against Udinese.
In a big blow for Inter, Simone Inzaghi will be without Lautaro Martinez and Denzel Dumfries as Inter resumes their Serie A campaign following the international break due to injuries sustained by both players. Their focus now shifts to recovering in time for the upcoming Coppa Italia clash against Milan and the Champions League encounter with Bayern Munich.
Martinez and Dumfries were both called up to represent their national teams, Argentina and the Netherlands, respectively, in March. However, both players pulled out before their countries’ opening matches of the international break and returned to Milan for additional checks.
After a period of uncertainty in goal with backup goalkeeper Razvan Sava injured, Udinese turned to 39-year-old Daniele Padelli. However, Kosta Runjaic recalled the fit-again first-choice goalkeeper, Maduka Okoye.
Isaak Toure remains the only long-term absentee while recovering from a serious knee injury. At the same time, Hassane Kamara is set to return to the squad after serving his suspension in the match against Verona.
Runjaic typically pairs Lorenzo Lucca with Florian Thauvin in attack, but with Thauvin dealing with a foot issue, veteran striker Alexis Sanchez is expected to start in his place.
Predicted starting lineup
Inter Milan predicted starting lineup:
Sommer; Pavard, Acerbi, Bisseck; Joaquin Correa, Barella, Calhanoglu, Mkhitaryan, Carlos Augusto; Thuram, Taremi.
Udinese predicted starting lineup:
Okoye; Kristensen, Bijol, Solet, Zemura; Atta, Lovric, Karlstrom, Payero; Lucca, Sanchez.
Prediction
After 29 games played, every game is now crucial, every goal counts and every point is decisive for Inter in their quest for a successive Scudetto title.
With Napoli hot on their trails, the Nerazzurri cannot afford to drop any points in the remaining games, as any slump could see Antonio Conte’s side usurp them in the title race.
Although Inter have dominated this fixture with five consecutive wins, Udinese have been in good form in recent games, losing only one of their last seven games. They’re also unbeaten in their last two away trips, drawing to title-chasing Napoli and top-four Lazio.
It won’t be an easy tie, especially with key players like Martínez and Dumfries out, but Inzaghi’s side have the superior quality and should emerge winners in this outing.
