Seeking a way back to winning ways after a disappointing Champions League start, reigning Serie A champions Inter welcome Udinese at Giuseppe Meazza on Monday. Cristian Chivu’s men have enjoyed a perfect start to their Scudetto defense and will now look to make it four wins out of four.
Inter suffered a 2-1 defeat at Real Madrid on Tuesday, with Carlos Augusto scoring a consolation goal at the Santiago Bernabeu. The Nerazzurri failed to pull off another comeback, like the one they did against Napoli last weekend, which saw them overhaul a two-goal deficit to claim a 3-2 victory at home on the back of Lautaro Martinez’s match-winning break.
Lautaro’s exploits helped Inter maintain a 100% start to the new Serie A season, as they’ve won all three league fixtures by a combined score of 8-3. Visiting Udinese will be keen to put Inter’s title credentials to the test here, especially after seeing their unbeaten two-game Serie A start (W1, D1) end at the hands of Lazio last time out, courtesy of a 2-1 defeat at the Bluenergy Stadium.
Kosta Runjaic’s number-one assignment is to steer Udinese to their first upper-half-of-the-table finish since 2012/13. However, the Friulians’ notorious inconsistency, as shown by their mixed Serie A start, makes it easier said than done.
Match Preview
Inter
Inter’s stunning comeback against Napoli extended their unbeaten league run to 14 consecutive games at Meazza (W11, D3), with the Nerazzurri winning five of their last six such matches (D1). Furthermore, Chivu’s men have picked up where they left off in 2025/26, continuing to score in abundance. For context, only Roma (10) have scored more goals than Inter’s eight in Serie A this term.
Particularly prolific at home, Inter have netted an eye-catching 36 league goals at Meazza since the turn of 2026, averaging an intimidating 2.8 goals per game. To further illustrate the quality of Chivu’s relentless frontline, the Nerazzurri have made at least seven shots on goal in three of their four competitive outings this season. Therefore, Udinese’s porous backline is likely to face another stern test.
Inter may or may not pack a punch today, but they’re heavily favored to put three more points on the board, having won 18 of their last 23 league meetings with this opposition (D2, L3). However, they would be well-advised not to take anything for granted, especially after a 2-1 defeat in this corresponding fixture last term.
Udinese
After upsetting the apple cart last August, Udinese could secure back-to-back away wins over Inter for the first time since 2013. Despite facing long odds, that feat is not out of the realm of possibility. Indeed, Runjaic’s charges bring a promising six-game unbeaten road run into this showdown (W4, D2), including a high-scoring 3-2 victory at Monza in their first away league game of the season.
It’s also worth noting that Udinese scored at least two goals in each of those six matches, suggesting they could match Inter’s well-documented attacking prowess here. Another unexpected triumph at Meazza would see the Friulians kick off a new league campaign with back-to-back away wins for just the third time since 1996.
However, seven consecutive league defeats at this venue prior to that win perhaps best illustrate the magnitude of the task ahead. Still, the visitors can bank on their superb first-half form to inspire another upset, with four of their five Serie A goals this season coming between the 25th minute and halftime.
Team News
Apart from summer signing Djed Spence, who’s still building up his fitness, Chivu will have the remainder of his Inter squad fit and ready for this clash. Federico Dimarco, who missed a midweek trip to Madrid due to a minor injury, is expected to return to the starting lineup at the expense of Augusto, while Curtis Jones should get the nod in midfield ahead of Petar Sucic.
Meanwhile, Udinese lost Jakub Piotrowski and Oumar Solet to injury in last weekend’s loss at Lazio, with the pair joining Nicolo Zaniolo, Matteo Palma, Juan Arizala, and Alessandro Zanoli on the sidelines. With Zaniolo unavailable for selection, Keinan Davis, who set up one and scored the other in last season’s win at Meazza, is likely to lead the line.
Inter vs Udinese Potential Starting Lineups
Inter (3-5-2): J. Martinez; Akanji, Stones, Bastoni; Diouf, Zielinski, Calhanoglu, Jones, Dimarco; L. Martinez, Esposito.
Udinese (3-4-2-1): Okoye; Abankwah, Kabasele, Ebosse; Vojvoda, Karlstrom, Miller, Kamara; Ekkelenkamp, Gomez; Davis.
Inter vs Udinese Prediction
The lightning never strikes twice, or does it? Udinese will back themselves to think so after defying the odds at Meazza last term, but Inter’s formidable home record and relentless attacking output should prove too much to overcome.
Prediction: Inter to Win
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The post Serie A Preview: Inter vs Udinese – Team News, Lineups & Prediction appeared first on The Cult of Calcio.
