MILAN – Inter failed to capitalise on an excellent first-half performance this evening, with Udinese scoring twice after the break to seal a comeback win at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza.
The Nerazzurri started brightly, setting a high tempo and pressing Udinese all over the pitch. In the 22nd minute, Inter were a whisker away from taking the lead. Guarin took up the ball on the left, leaving Piris for dead before cutting the ball back for Kovacic. The Croat unleashed a howitzer of an effort towards the opposition goal, but it cannoned back off the crossbar. Palacio pounced on the rebound, but the Udinese defence somehow managed to scramble it away with the woodwork still rattling.
Barely 60 seconds later, Medel let fly with a fearsome long-range effort that whistled past the post. Udinese tried to fight fire with fire, but Di Natale’s left-footed shot failed to trouble Handanovic’s goal. On 44 minutes, the Friulian outfit again threatened, this time through Badu, but the Ghanaian’s header was easy fodder for the Inter goalie.
Udinese could be forgiven for thinking they’d got to half-time unscathed, but Mauro Icardi had other ideas. After Fredy Guarin’s eye-of-the-needle pass carved the Udinese defence wide open, Icardi sprang the offside trap and made no mistake in firing past Karnezis, ensuring that Inter went in 1-0 up at the break.
Udinese came out fighting in the second half, and drew level on 60 minutes. Bruno Fernandes controlled well before unleashing a looping effort that left Handanovic with no chance. Unperturbed, Inter pushed forward for a winner, Kovacic’s low strike fizzing inches wide of the post.
Cruelly, the Udinese winner came from Palacio’s poor back-pass. Thereau latched onto the loose ball, sidestepping Handanovic and stroking home into an empty net. Inter tried to react, especially through the dangerous-looking Osvaldo and Guarin, but there was to be no reprieve.
INTER 1-2 UDINESE
Scorers: Icardi 44, Fernandes 60, Thereau 71.
Inter: 1 Handanovic; 55 Nagatomo, 23 Ranocchia, 5 Juan Jesus, 22 Dodo (Bonazzoli 90); 13 Guarin, 18 Medel (D'Ambrosio 88) , 17 Kuzmanovic; 8 Palacio, 9 Icardi (Osvaldo 67), 10 Kovacic.
Subs not used: 30 Carrizo, 46 Berni, 6 Andreolli, 14 Campagnaro, 15 Vidic, 20 Obi, 25 Mbaye, 44 Krhin, 90 M'Vila.
Coach: Roberto Mancini.
Udinese: 31 Karnezis; 75 Heurtaux, 5 Danilo, 89 Piris; 27 Widmer, 7 Badu, 19 Guilherme, 6 Allan (Pinzi 81), 26 Pasquale; 8 Fernandes; 10 Di Natale (Thereau 59).
Subs not used: 1 Brkic, 22 Scuffet, 2 Wague, 14 Belmonte, 18 Bubnjic, 21 Hallberg, 33 Kone, 34 Gabriel Silva, 82 Geijo, 95 Evangelista.
Coach: Andrea Stramaccioni.
Referee: Andrea Gervasoni (Mantova).
Booked: Dodo 48, Pinzi 86, Bonazzoli 90+1.
Added time: 1 + 4 minutes.
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LE PAROLE DI MISTER MANCINI POST INTER UDINESE
