Inter Milan vs Udinese
It’s been a tough and, at times, bloody miserable few months for Inter Milan.
The real low point was the way the 20-times Italian champions were mercilessly brushed aside in that Champions League Final – a devastation they may take some time to recover from.
What was particularly surprising was the way they were devastatingly dismissed on the back of an epic semi-final success against Barcelona.
In the space of just a few days, the club was turned upside down as impressive manager Simone Inzaghi quickly departed on the back of the European final, being pipped to the Serie A title by a point and being knocked out of the Coppa Italia at the semi-final stage by city rivals Milan.
The focus now is firmly on bouncing back, starting with delivering Serie A 2025 highlights.
Talking Points
Tasked with overseeing the task is Cristian Chivu, the former Romanian international who signed a two-year deal at the club just before the Rossoneri took part in the summer FIFA Club World Cup event in the States.
The 44-year-old rejoined the club where he was a player and later youth coach, following a four-month spell in Serie A with Parma, whom he guided to safety in the final weekend of last season.
In their opener on Monday night, his new charges certainly made light of Torino who were despatched with ease as Marcus Thuram scored twice.
He was joined on the scoresheet by Alessandro Bastoni, Lautaro Martinez and debutant Ange-Yoan Bonny yet, without taking anything from Inter, their opponents were very poor.
Udinese, who opened their campaign with a 1-1 home draw against Hellas Verona, hardly set the world alight either so perhaps this weekend represents a chance for Chivu and his team to make it two wins from two.
The influential Hakan Calhanoglu and Francesco Pio Esposito both missed out on the five-goal cruise through suspension and will be back in the squad for the hosts this weekend.
Udinese, meanwhile, are expected to pair Keinan Davis with Iker Bravo. Recent arrival Adam Buksa could join ex-Inter man Alexis Sanchez on the bench.
Goalkeeper Maduka Okoye is serving a two-month ban for illegal betting so Razvan Sava starts between the posts, while Matteo Palma may join him on the sidelines with a muscular problem.
Before their draw with Verona, Kosta Runjaic’s side officially began the new campaign with a 2-0 success over Serie B side Carrarese in the Coppa Italia.
Overall though, anything they can bring home from Milan will be considered a bonus.
History
Inter enjoyed a league double over Udinese last season but both games were closely contested.
The San Siro encounter in March was decided by two goals inside the opening half hour through strikes by Marko Arnautovic and Davide Frattesi before Oumar Solet pulled one back in the second period.
In Udine six months earlier, Inter edged a five-goal thriller with Frattesi opening the scoring in the first minute and goals at the end of the first half and start of the second half from Martinez proving decisive.
Christian Kabasele and Lorenzo Lucca kept the home side in the hunt until the end.
They also met in the last 16 of the Coppa Italia last season with first-half goals from Arnautovic and Kristjan Asllani scoring the goals in a 2-0 home win at the San Siro.
Udinese last won on Inter turf in 2017 (since when they have lost their last eight visits) when Kevin Lasagna, Rodrigo De Paul (penalty) and Antonin Barak were on target in a 3-1 success with Mauro Icardi finding the net for the Nerazzurri. The last time Udinese beat Inter was a 3-1 home success in September 2022.
Overall, Inter have 60 wins in all competitions with 24 Udinese triumphs and 32 draws.
Their very first meeting came in October 1950 in the Italian top flight when two second-half goals from Faas Wilkes fired Inter to a 3-1 triumph.
Betting Tip
The SBOTOP Serie A 2025 betting odds are as one-sided as Inter’s record in this fixture.
You can back the home side 1X2 @ 1.31 or Asian Handicap -1.50 @ 2.04 with Udinese on offer 1X2 @ 7.80 and Asian Handicap +1.25 @ 2.12.
A draw will earn you a tidy pay day of @ 4.69.
I think it will be close, but not that close, so am plumping for a home win as a ** tip with Correct Score 2-1 @ 8.60 – which is exactly the same as last season.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:
⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT)
⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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