Inter Overcome Early Scare in Five-Goal Thriller Against Udinese

Inter staged a commanding comeback at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, overturning an early two-goal deficit to defeat Udinese 5-3 in a high-scoring Serie A encounter. While the visitors stunned the home crowd with two goals in the opening 16 minutes, Inter’s tactical consistency in their 3-5-2 shape—utilizing three centre-backs, five across midfield, and two forwards—eventually overwhelmed the Udinese 3-4-2-1. Inter finished the match with 27 shots and an expected goals (xG) tally of 3.11, compared to Udinese’s 0.90. The home side’s control was absolute, evidenced by 66% possession and 51 touches inside the opposition box.

Udinese capitalized on early defensive lapses, with James Abankwah heading home from a corner in the 9th minute before Jurgen Ekkelenkamp doubled the lead in the 16th minute following a setup by Keinan Davis. Inter, however, refused to retreat. Carlos Augusto sparked the response in the 26th minute, finding the net with a left-footed strike. Nicolò Barella leveled the score in the 35th minute, converting a Marcus Thuram assist to ensure the sides went into the break with momentum firmly shifting toward the hosts. The first half saw Inter register 13 shots, signaling the sustained pressure that would define the remainder of the contest.

Inter’s 3-5-2 structure proved too much for the Udinese defensive line as the match progressed. The home side’s ability to control the midfield allowed them to pin Udinese back, forcing the visitors into a low block that struggled to contain the pressure. Six Udinese players found themselves consistently dispossessed or unable to maintain possession under the weight of Inter’s dominance. Enzo-Ebosse struggled significantly, finishing with a 4.39 rating, while Lennon-Miller managed only a 64.7% pass accuracy across 24 touches. Christian Kabasele and James Abankwah also found the defensive workload difficult, recording ratings of 4.51 and 5.28 respectively. Jesper Karlström and Mërgim Vojvoda were similarly stifled, as Inter’s midfield trio dictated the tempo and restricted the visitors to just 34% possession.

The second half was a one-sided affair. Marcus Thuram, who led the individual numbers with a 0.67 xG contribution, put Inter ahead in the 57th minute after an assist from Andy Diouf. Francesco Pio Esposito extended the lead ten minutes later, finishing a Piotr Zieliński delivery to make it 4-2. Ange-Yoan Bonny added a fifth in the 79th minute, effectively sealing the points despite a late consolation goal from Idrissa Gueye in the 90th minute. Inter’s efficiency was reflected in their 12 shots on target and a clinical 2.13 xG in the second half alone. As Marcus Thuram noted after the match, "What matters is how you respond, and we know how to do that!"

FotMob.