The Daily Star Ireland
Inter Milan remains a major force in European football this season, with their Champions League campaign reflecting this despite their recent 1-0 loss to Bayer Leverkusen, which came from a last-minute goal. The team, who clinched their 20th Serie A title last year, is once again vying for another championship.
Their only defeat in the league this season came in September against AC Milan. Last weekend, Inter aimed to continue their strong performance against Lazio in Rome, hoping to build on their 3-1 victory over Parma.
Udinese, on the other hand, had struggled in Serie A with five consecutive games without a win, including losses to Genoa, Atalanta, Juventus, and newly promoted Venezia. However, they broke that run by defeating Monza 1-2 on the road, which was their first win in six matches. Their next challenge is facing Napoli, one of the league’s top teams.
The Bianconeri also advanced in the Italian Cup, defeating Avellino 4-0 and Salernitana 3-1. As for player updates, Inter will be without some key figures, including central defender Acerbi and full-back Ben Pavard, both injured. Dumfries may also miss the match due to illness, with Darmian possibly taking his place.
French striker Marcus Thuram, along with Lautaro Martinez and Mehdi Taremi, will lead the attack. Meanwhile, Udinese will likely be without Alexis Sanchez for his reunion with Inter, also due to injury, and several other players like Keinan Davis and Gerard Deulofeu are unavailable.
Prediction
Looking ahead, Inter has been in excellent form, securing eight wins in nine matches, with a perfect record at home during this stretch. In contrast, Udinese has struggled on the road, losing 10 out of 13 away games this season.
Prediction: Inter 2-0 Udinese.
