Final score

28 April 2015 20:45

Udinese
5' (2nd half) Di Natale
1 - 2
Inter
21' (2nd half) Podolski
3' (2nd half) Icardi (P)
Referee: Gianluca Rocchi / Linesmen: Manganelli, Preti / Fourth official: Cariolato / Assistants: Peruzzo, Pezzuto
Watch highlights
Minute Text commentary
47' And there's the half-time whistle! It's 0-0 here but Inter are by the far better team. Udinese are down to ten after Domizzi's red card.
46' So close Inter! Hernanes receives the ball deep in the penalty box, controls well and shoots. Karnezis pulls off a wonder save to deny him.
45' There'll be two minutes' added time here at the Stadio Friuli.
45' Icardi comes close to putting Inter ahead, but his right-footed shot is put behind for a corner by Karnezis.
44' Stramaccioni makes a change here. Guilherme is the man sacrificed, with Pasquale taking his place.
44' D'Ambrosio finds Guarin, but the Colombian can't quite get the telling contact.
42' Hernanes picks the ball up on the edge of the area and hammers a rasping effort towards goal. Just over!
40' Red card. Domizzi scythes down Hernanes, who was galloping towards the Udinese box. It's a second yellow card for the Udinese man.
39' Hernanes with a free-kick midway inside the Udinese half. Vidic is lurking at the
35' Vidic and Thereau are both down here after a clash of heads.
33' D'Ambrosio supplies the cross, but Piris gets in front of Icardi to clear.
30' Hernanes is involved again here, getting up to meet Palacio's cross with a header. Karnezis makes the save.
29' D'Ambrosio swings in a cross from the right flank. Icardi looks to head down to Hernanes, but Danilo ensures there is no danger.
26' Domizzi gets a booking here for dissent.
25' Palacio and Icardi look to combine on the edge of the Udinese area, but the Inter No. 9's return ball is a shade too long.
23' Handanovic punches Thereau's cross away from danger.
19' A coming together between Guarin and Piris leaves the Udinese man on the turf and the Colombian midfielder in the book.
16' Hernanes picks himself up and launches a stunning free-kick towards the top corner of the goal. Karnezis pulls off a great save to deny him.
15' Hernanes steps on the gas, only to be brought down by Pinzi on the edge of the box. It's a deserved yellow card for the Udinese No. 66.
13' Allan now with a long-distance effort, but his right-footed strike is no trouble for Handanovic in the Nerazzurri goalmouth.
10' Guarin lets fly with a powerful strike from nearly 40 yards, but Karnezis gets down well to push the Colombian's shot away.
8' Kovacic wins the ball back in a dangerous position and looks to find Palacio, but Danilo pre-empts the pass and clears the danger.
5' Hernanes slips it in behind for Palacio, but Karnezis comes out to claim the ball.
3' Icardi tries his luck with a strike from distance, but it whistles over the bar.
2' Udinese win an early corner. Di Natale swings it in, but Palacio is there to get his head to the cross and clear the danger.
1' Roberto Mancini's Nerazzurri side get us underway here in Udine.
1' The teams are out on the pitch here at the Stadio Friuli. Udinese v Inter is about to start!
Minute Text commentary
49' That's it! The Nerazzurri run out 1-2 winners at the Friuli thanks to goals from Icardi and Podolski!
49' Udinese throw the kitchen sink at Inter. Perica and Kone come close to an equaliser, but Inter hold on!
48' Medel takes a yellow card for a tactical foul.
45' There'll be four minutes' added time.
44' Mancini makes another change here, bringing Gnoukouri on in place of Hernanes.
43' Podolski's blocked shot falls to Icardi, who back-heels the ball home. It won't count at the Argentine was in an offside position.
42' Udinese make their third and final change here, throwing on Perica in place of Pasquale.
41' Kovacic with another surge forward. The Croat crosses for Icardi, but Danilo is there to clear.
40' Allan leads a dangerous-looking break for Udinese, but his pass for Thereau is just a fraction too long. Handanovic gobbles it up.
37' Kone goes down under pressure from Palacio, who gets a booking for his troubles.
32' Santon cuts in from the left and gets a low shot away. Karnezis is alert to the Italian's effort and gets down low to save.
29' Palacio tees up Hernanes, who gets good contact but can't quite hit the target from a dangerous position.
28' Podolski is everywhere. The German striker very nearly makes it 1-3 with a curling left-footed effort from the edge of the area.
25' Podolski picks up a booking for dissent.
23' D'Ambrosio's right-footed shot picks up a deflection on its way through, finishing up inches from the post.
21' GOOOOOOAL!!!!!! Podolski! The German gathers the ball on the edge of the area and thrashes a screamer past Karnezis and into the net!
20' Mancini shuffles his pack here, with Podolski replacing Guarin.
19' Palacio works the ball to the byline and finds D'Ambrosio, whose cross is deflected behind for a corner.
16' Stramaccioni makes his second change of the match here, bringing on Kone for Di Natale.
14' Badu continues the protests but he's gone too far now. The referee shows him a red card, Udinese are down to nine!
13' Badu picks up a booking for dissent.
13' Guarin plays in Palacio, who gets in front of Piris and looks to steer the ball goalwards. Karnezis makes the stop.
12' Widmer tees up Pasquale on the edge of the Inter area, but the Udinese man's left-footed effort is never troubling Handanovic.
10' Guarin winds up one of his trademark thunderbolts, but Karnezis keeps it out with a diving save.
8' So close Inter! Kovacic takes the game be the scruff of the neck, surging forward and sending a curling shot inches wide of the post.
6' Widmer brings down Santon and earns himself a yellow card in the process.
5' Udinese hit back immediately through Di Natale, who makes no mistake one-on-one with Handanovic to slot home for 1-1.
3' GOOOOALLLL! Icardi sends Karnezis the wrong way to make it 0-1 to the Nerazzurri. That's Maurito's 18th Serie A goal this season.
1' PENALTY TO INTER! Kovacic latches on to Hernanes' pass, but Danilo brings him down! Great chance for Inter!
1' The second half gets underway here in Udine. Neither side has made any half-time subs.
Santon
5.58
5.58
Guarin
4.67
4.67
Palacio
5.75
5.75
Handanovic
5.07
5.07
Kovacic
6.08
6.08
Icardi
6.42
6.42
D'Ambrosio
5.87
5.87
Hernanes
5.84
5.84
Vidic
6.41
6.41
Medel
5.39
5.39
Gnoukouri
6.32
6.32
Podolski
7.08
7.08
Felipe
6.05
6.05
Average rating 5.89
1 shots on target 11
8 shots off target 11
12 fouls committed 20
5 corners 5
1 offsides 2
32% ball possession 68%
wins(23) draws(17) defeats(11)

UDINE – Inter claimed a second successive win in Serie A tonight after a hotly contested match against Udinese which saw the home side finish the game with nine men.

At a pumping Stadio Friuli, it was the Nerazzurri who started strongest, with Guarin drawing a smart diving save from Karnezis after one of his signature long-range piledrivers. Five minutes later, Hernanes won a free-kick on the edge of the area, dusting himself down to very nearly squeeze the ball past Karnezis and into the net. It was another good save from the Greek goalkeeper, who was in for a busy night’s work.

Inter were keeping possession well and it wasn’t long before they threatened again. D’Ambrosio exchanged passes with Palacio and swung in a dangerous cross for Icardi, whose dinked header to Hernanes just eluded the Brazilian schemer. A few seconds later, Hernanes found himself in a good position, but could only head into Karnezis’ outstretched gloves.

The match took an unexpected turn in the 40th minute, when the galloping Hernanes was scythed down by Domizzi. The Udinese man was already on a yellow card for dissent, and the referee had no option but to send him off. Down to ten men and holding on, Udinese had Karnezis to thank for maintaining parity as he denied first Icardi, slipped in by Palacio, and then Hernanes. A breathless first half ended with the scores level at nil nil.

There were fireworks right from the off in the second half. Barely a minute had passed before the Nerazzurri had a penalty, after Kovacic was left flattened in the box by a clumsy Danilo challenge. The Friuli showed its displeasure, but there was no doubt about it. And there was no doubt about who was going to take it – Icardi made no mistake for his 18th Serie A goal this season.

Inter seemed in full control, but their lead lasted just a few minutes. Medel mistimed a challenge in midfield, allowing Di Natale to get away from Vidic and slot home for the equaliser. Not to be perturbed, the Nerazzurri went straight up the other end through Palacio, who very nearly restored his side’s lead with a cute back-heel.

There was to be yet more drama, as Badu picked up a booking for dissent before seeming to flick out at the referee, earning himself the ignominy of a red card and the ire of his team-mates. Eleven versus nine.

Keen to make the advantage pay, Mancini brought on Podolski for Guarin in the 65th minute. The German, of course, had failed to score in over three months at Inter, but tonight it took him just two touches to dispatch a scorching effort past Karnezis and into the net.

Inter were pouring forward now, buoyed by their goal, and Podolski almost made it 1-3 with a left-footed shot that whistled past the far post. Hernanes too came close, before Icardi had a back-heeled goal correctly ruled out for offside.

The Nerazzurri weather a late, desperate Udinese storm but there was to be no denying Roberto Mancini’s men. They head home with three vital points in their quest for a European place.

UDINESE 1-2 INTER
Scorers: Icardi pen. 48, Di Natale 50, Podolski 66.

UDINESE: 31 Karnezis; 27 Widmer, 5 Danilo, 11 Domizzi, 89 Piris; 6 Allan, 66 Pinzi, 7 Badu; 19 Guilherme (Pasquale 44 (Perica 86)); 77 Thereau, 10 Di Natale (Kone 61).
Subs not used: 22 Scuffet, 97 Meret, 8 Fernandes, 9 Perica, 13 Zapata, 18 Brubnijc, 21 Hallberg, 34 Gabriel Silva, 82 Geijo, 94 Aguirre.
Coach: Andrea Stramaccioni.

INTER: 1 Handanovic; 21 Santon, 26 Felipe, 15 Vidic, 33 D'Ambrosio; 10 Kovacic, 18 Medel, 13 Guarin (Podolski 65); 88 Hernanes (Gnoukouri 89); 8 Palacio, 9 Icardi.
Subs not used: 30 Carrizo, 20 Obi, 24 Sciacca, 27 Gnoukouri, 28 Puscas, 54 Donkor, 55 Nagatomo, 77 Brozovic, 91 Shaqiri, 93 Dimarco, 97 Bonazzoli.
Coach: Roberto Mancini.

Booked: Pinzi 15, Guarin 19, Domizzi 26, Widmer 51, Badu 58, Podolski 70, Palacio 82, Medel 90+3.
Sent off: Domizzi 40 (second bookable offence), Badu 58.
Added time: 2 + 4 minutes.

Referee: Rocchi.
Assistants: Padovan, Barbirati.
Fourth official: Marzaloni.
Additional assistants: Peruzzo, Pezzuto.

starting lineups

Karnezis 31 1 Handanovic
Widmer 27 33 D'Ambrosio
Danilo 5 15 Vidic
Domizzi 11 26 Felipe
Piris 89 21 Santon
Pinzi 66 13 Guarin
Allan 6 18 Medel
Badu 7 10 Kovacic
Guilherme 19 88 Hernanes
Thereau 77 8 Palacio
Di Natale 10 9 Icardi

substitutes

Scuffet 22 30 Carrizo
Meret 97 11 Podolski
Fernandes 8 20 Obi
Perica 9 24 Sciacca
Zapata 13 27 Gnoukouri
Brubnijc 18 28 Puscas
Hallberg 21 54 Donkor
Pasquale 26 55 Nagatomo
Kone 33 77 Brozovic
Gabriel Silva 34 91 Shaqiri
Geijo 82 93 Dimarco
Aguirre 94 97 Bonazzoli