Inter Milan v Udinese, Serie A 2025-26: Preview, Prediction, Key Players

Inter head coach Cristian Chivu underlined the importance of maintaining high levels of maturity and mentality, heading into their second Serie A game of the season. 

Chivu watched on as his team started their Scudetto quest with a convincing opening-day thrashing of Torino, with Marcus Thuram scoring twice in the 5-0 rout. 

The result saw Inter win their first match of a new Serie A campaign by five goals or more for only the third time in their history, and the first since beating Atalanta 6-0 in 1961. 

The Nerazzurri were worthy of their win, having registered an expected goals (xG) total of 1.59 from their 20 shots compared to Torino's 0.94 from their 12 attempts in the game. 

However, ahead of welcoming Udinese to San Siro this Sunday, Chivu stressed the significance of keeping up those high standards on home soil. 

"The important thing is to maintain the attitude and mentality we had in the first game of the Championship," he told reporters during his pre-match press conference.

"Then, there are other things to maintain and improve, but the fundamental things are the attitude and mentality that you need to have from the start.

"[On Sunday] The team must not make mistakes in their attitude, they must have the right mentality, wickedness and aggression, but also the quality that we have.

"Udinese are also very structured from a physical point of view. They have shown good things in mobility and flexibility. They have a structured midfield, but also a lot of quality.

"This year, they have changed the system, but the characteristics of the players are always the same, and it is always difficult to face a team like this."

Chivu also addressed the possibility of changing his formation, given Inter's European commitments are set to begin next month in the Champions League. 

While the Nerazzurri boss acknowledged regular changes may occur, he insisted he will not make alterations to his side purely for the sake of it. 

"Playing every three days to keep the group motivated and maintain healthy competition and the right level, I need to please everyone but not lose meritocracy," he added. 

"The level must be high and meritocracy is the first principle I look at.

"A lot of games are not enough, you have to prepare as best you can for the opportunities for which the coach's choices are for the good of the group.

"Everyone must deserve their place and show that they are competitive and valid solutions for our path."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Inter – Marcus Thuram

Since the start of last season, no player has netted more than one goal in a game more often in Serie A than Thuram (five, level with Mateo Retegui). 

The France international has also scored six goals in the top flight in August. In no other month of the year has he found the back of the net more often (also six goals in December).

Udinese – Oumar Solet 

Should Udinese spring a surprise against the Serie A title hopefuls, they will need Solet to be at his brilliant best like he was in his last appearance against Inter. 

He scored his only top-flight goal against the Nerazzurri in March, and he will be a threat that Chivu's side need to be aware of in the final third. 

Since his debut in Serie A (January 2025), Solet has completed the most dribbles of any defender in the competition (26 out of 31 attempted).

MATCH PREDICTION: INTER WIN

Inter have won their last five league matches against Udinese, scoring 14 goals in the process (an average of 2.8 goals per game). The Nerazzurri could win six successive meetings against this weekend's opponents for the first time in Serie A.

But Inter have also impressed in defence. They have kept a clean sheet in four of their last five league games, as many as they did in their first 17 Serie A matches of 2025.

They could keep a clean sheet in back-to-back home league games for the first time since their opening two home matches of last term (in August 2024 against Lecce and Atalanta).

Udinese, meanwhile, have lost their last seven league away matches against Inter. Only against Fiorentina (13 between 2008 and 2020) and Napoli (10 between 2015 and 2023) have they suffered at least eight straight defeats on the road in their Serie A history.

Kosta Runjaic's side have also won only one of their last 12 Serie A matches (drawn three, lost eight), with their last victory coming away to Cagliari on May 3, having won three meetings in a row without conceding between February and March.

And following their 1-1 draw against Hellas Verona, Udinese could draw both of their first two matches in Serie A season for only for the fourth time, after 2001-02, 1982-83, and 1979-80.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Inter – 68.9%

Draw – 17.9%

Udinese – 13.2%