Inter looking to extend their lead against Udinese

Inter and Udinese will face off at 18:00 CET at San Siro. Simone Inzaghi’s boys, after an important win in Bergamo that extended their lead at the top of the table (now a three-point gap), will look to make the most of Napoli and AC Milan’s clash at 20:45 CET. Udinese, on the other hand, lost at home to Verona just before the break, putting an end to a six-game streak without losing. They are now looking to get going again with an invaluable win against the league leaders.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

Inter have won each of their last four Serie A matches against Udinese and could equal their record streak of five consecutive wins against the Bianconeri, which they have already achieved three times in the competition (between 1993 and 1996, between 2008 and 2010, between 2015 and 2017). Inter have won their last six home meetings against Udinese in Serie A with an aggregate of 16-2; already a record for consecutive home wins for the Nerazzurri against the Bianconeri in the competition. The last win for the Friulians at the Meazza against Inter dates back to 16 December 2017: 3-1 with goals from Kevin Lasagna, Rodrigo De Paul and Antonín Barák (Mauro Icardi scored for the Nerazzurri). Inter have never lost in nine previous meetings with Udinese in Serie A after an international break: five Nerazzurri wins (four of which in the last four games of this type between the two clubs) and four draws.

DID YOU KNOW?

Inter have collected 64 points in 29 games played in the current Serie A and under Simone Inzaghi this is the third time in four seasons that the Nerazzurri have collected 60 or more points after the first 29 seasonal games in the competition (60 in 2021/22 and 76 in 2023/24): as many times as in the previous 12 editions of the Italian top-flight (60 in 2009/10, 64 in 2019/20 and 71 in 2020/21). Udinese have collected 40 points in their first 29 games of the current Serie A and the last time they managed to go over 40 points after 30 seasonal games played was in 2012/13 (42 in that case), a season they finished in fifth place. After a streak of six consecutive matches without defeat (W4, D2), Udinese have lost the most recent in Serie A against Hellas Verona (0-1); the Bianconeri could lose two matches in a row without scoring in a single season of the competition for the first time since May 2023 (two 0-2 against Fiorentina and Lazio in that case). Inter (120) and Udinese (104) are two of the three sides – together with Atalanta (111) – with the most successful open play crosses in the current Serie A. Indeed, the Milanesi (13), the Bergamaschi (11) and Friulans (nine) are also the three teams with the most headed goals in the competition this season.

PLAYERS

Hakan Çalhanoglu has provided the joint-most assists via set pieces across the last eight seasons in the Big-5 European leagues, since he arrived in Serie A in 2017/18: 27, level with Joshua Kimmich and Dani Parejo. The Turkish midfielder has been involved in three goals in his last three Serie A games against Udinese (two goals and one assist), after not being involved in any goals in his first seven games against the Friulians in the competition. Lorenzo Lucca has scored 10 goals in Serie A this season – one against Inter, on September 28 – and could become the first Italian player to score more than 10 goals in a season with Udinese in the competition since Kevin Lasagna (12) in 2017/18. Furthermore, he is one of the two players with the most headed goals in the current competition (five each), along with Mateo Retegui.

DISCIPLINE

Suspended: Bastoni (Inter) Cautioned: Mkhitaryan, Pavard, Barella (Inter); Lovric, Payero, Ehizibue, Giannetti, Kristensen (Udinese)

REFEREE

CHIFFI (ROSSI M. – FONTEMURATO), IV: BONACINA, VAR: PATERNA, AVAR: PEZZUTO

UPCOMING MATCHES IN SERIE A

Parma-Inter (Saturday 5 April, 18.00 CET) Genoa-Udinese (Friday 4 April, 20.45 CEST) (Photo Getty Images)