Inter 2-1 Udinese: Nerazzurri Survive Late Scare to Extend Winning Streak

Inter Milan continued their fine run of form with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Udinese at the San Siro, making it five consecutive wins in all competitions for the first time since December 2024 to January 2025. Goals from Marko Arnautovic and Davide Frattesi in the first half gave the Serie A leaders what seemed like a comfortable cushion, but Udinese pushed them all the way in the closing stages.

Inter dominated the first 70 minutes of the game, with Federico Dimarco playing a starring role. The versatile defender, who has been involved in 21 goals over the past two seasons (nine goals and 12 assists), set up both of Inter’s goals. Dimarco’s delivery from the left allowed Arnautovic to head home the opener, before an almost identical play saw Frattesi score to make it 2-0. Frattesi’s goal also added to his tally of five for the season, marking the third straight campaign in which he has reached that mark—a feat matched only by Mattia Zaccagni among Serie A midfielders.

Despite Inter’s control, Udinese made things difficult late on. Oumar Solet struck his first goal of the season with a powerful shot from outside the box to halve the deficit and bring Udinese back into the contest. The visitors nearly found an equalizer, with Lorenzo Lucca and Solet both forcing saves from Yann Sommer. Udinese's strong second-half performance shifted the momentum, as they outshot Inter in the final 45 minutes.

While Udinese can be proud of their efforts, the xG statistics—1.52 to 0.74 in Inter's favor—reflected the Nerazzurri's greater overall threat throughout the match. Inter had 13 shots to Udinese’s 11, but the visitors were more dangerous after the break, pushing hard for a share of the points.

Nevertheless, Inter managed to hold on and secured all three points, establishing a crucial six-point lead over second-placed Napoli. The pressure now falls on Antonio Conte's Napoli to respond later in the day in their clash with AC Milan.

Simone Inzaghi’s Inter will next turn their attention to the Coppa Italia semi-final first leg against city rivals Milan on Wednesday, while Udinese, who remain 10th in the table, will look to bounce back when they travel to face Genoa on Friday.

Final score: Inter 2-1 Udinese.