After a disappointing start to the Champions League, defending Serie A champions Inter Milan seek to return to winning ways when they face Udinese at Giuseppe Meazza on Monday. Christian Chivu’s side have made a perfect start to their league title defense and are now looking to make it four wins from four games.
Inter Milan lost 2-1 to Real Madrid on Tuesday with Carlos Augusto scoring a consolation goal at the Santiago Bernabeu. The Nerazzurri failed to pull off another comeback, as they did against Napoli last weekend Overturned a two-goal deficit 3-2 at home After Lautaro Martinez’s winning goal.
Lautaro’s outstanding performance helped Inter Milan maintain a 100% start in the new Serie A season. They won all three league games with a total score of 8-3. The visit to Udinese will be keen to test Inter’s title credentials here, especially after they beat Lazio 2-1 at the Estadio Internazionale in their last game to maintain a two-match unbeaten run in Serie A (1 win, 1 draw).
Costa Lenjic’s priority is to lead Udinese into the top half of the table for the first time since 2012/13. However, the Friuli’s notorious inconsistency, as their mixed start to Serie A has shown, is easier said than done.
Game preview
Inter Milan
Inter Milan’s stunning comeback against Napoli extended their unbeaten run at San Siro to 14 games (11 wins, 3 draws), with the Nerazzurri winning five of their last six such games (1 draw). In addition, Chivu’s team continues to achieve fruitful results in the 2025/26 season. For context, only Roma (10) have scored more goals in Serie A this season than Inter Milan (8).
Inter Milan have performed particularly well at home since the start of 2026, scoring an eye-catching 36 league goals at San Siro and averaging a frightening 2.8 goals per game. To further illustrate Chivu’s ruthless forward prowess, the Nerazzurri have had at least seven shots on goal in three of their four games this season. Therefore, Udinese’s porous defense is likely to face another severe test.
Inter Milan may or may not pack a punch today, but they are very likely to take another three points at the top of the table, having won 18 of their last 23 league meetings with their opponents (D2, D3). However, they would be wise not to take anything for granted, especially after losing 2-1 in the corresponding match last season.
Udinese
Udinese are on course to beat Inter back-to-back away from home for the first time since 2013 after upending expectations last August. Despite the low odds, the feat is not impossible. In fact, under the leadership of Langjage, the team is expected to achieve a six-game unbeaten away game in this matchup (4 wins and 2 draws), including a high score of 3-2 in Monza in the first away league game of the season.
It’s also worth noting that Udinese have scored at least two goals in each of these six games, showing that they can match Inter Milan’s attacking prowess. Another unexpected win at San Siro will give Friulian their third consecutive away win since 1996 and start a new league campaign.
However, before that victory, seven consecutive league defeats at this venue perhaps best illustrate the enormity of the task ahead. Still, the visitors could rely on their strong first-half performance to cause another upset, with four of their five Serie A goals this season coming in the 25th minute and on half-time.
Team news
As well as summer signing Djed Spence still recovering from fitness, Chivu will have the rest of Inter’s squad fit and ready for this game. Federico Dimarco, who missed the midweek trip to Madrid with a minor injury, is expected to return to the starting line-up in place of Augusto, while Curtis Jones should earn a spot in midfield ahead of Petar Sucic.
Udinese, meanwhile, lost Jakub Piotrowski and Omar Sole through injury in last weekend’s loss to Lazio, with the pair joining Nicolo Zaniolo, Matteo Parma, Juan Arizarra and Alessandro Zanoli. With Zaniolo unavailable, Kenan Davis, who assisted one goal and scored another in last season’s win over San Siro, is likely to start.
Inter Milan vs Udinese potential starting lineup
Inter Milan (3-5-2): J. Martinez; Akanji, Stones, Bastoni; Diouf, Zielinski, Calhanoglu, Jones, Dimarco; L. Martinez, Esposito.
Udinese (3-4-2-1): Okoye; Abankwa, Kabasele, Ebos; Wojvoda, Carlstrom, Miller, Kamara; Eklenkamp, Gomez; Davis.
Inter Milan vs Udinese Prediction
Lightning doesn’t strike twice, does it? Udinese will back themselves up to think so after beating their rivals at San Siro last season, but Inter’s strong home record and ruthless attacking output should prove too much to overcome.
Prediction: Inter Milan wins
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