MILAN – Inter are back in action on Saturday night as Udinese come to town as part of Serie A Week 35. To help you get in the mood for tonight’s match, we’ve teamed up with Opta to bring you the need-to-know stats on the game…
HEAD TO HEAD
Inter and Udinese have done battle on 85 occasions in the league. As things stand, Inter have won 40, drawn 25 and lost 20.
Inter have won each of their last two matches against Udinese, scoring six goals and conceding just one.
The most common scoreline between Inter and Udinese in Serie A is a 1-1 draw (it’s happened 13 times, but not since August 2007 at the Meazza).
There have been eight goalless draws between the two teams, with the last one coming at San Siro in Match 2014.
PREVIOUS MEETINGS IN MILAN
Udinese have won nine out of their 42 matches away at Inter in Serie A, making the Nerazzurri their second-favourite team to play on the road after Lazio (11 away wins).
Inter haven’t beaten Udinese at home since September 2010. Udinese have won three and drawn one in the meantime.
FORM BOOK
Inter – who were beaten at Genoa in midweek – have not lost consecutive Serie A matches this season. The Nerazzurri have won six and drawn two straight after their eight defeats so far this campaign.
Inter have scored at least one goal in each of their last seven home matches for a total of 13 goals. Roberto Mancini’s side have won five, drawn one and lost one of those games.
The Nerazzurri are currently 12 points better off than they were at this stage of last season. Only Napoli (+14) are more improved than Inter.
Udinese have plundered eight points in their five matches under Luigi De Canio, just one fewer than in their previous 12 league games.
Udinese haven’t won away from home in eight attempts (three draws, five losses). The Friulian outfit haven’t gone nine away games without a win since March 2010.
GENERAL STATS
Saturday night’s match pits the third-best defence in the league (Inter, 31 goals conceded) against the second-worst attack (Udinese, 31 goals scored).
The Friulian outfit have the second-worst shots-to-goal ratio in Serie A with 9.5%, better only than Hellas Verona.
Udinese are the only side in the league not to have scored from outside of the area this season. Meanwhile, Inter are – along with Bologna – the side that have conceded the fewest goals from outside the box (2).
Inter and Udinese are – alongside Fiorentina – the sides with fewest Italian scorers so far this season (2).
Only Juventus (8) have conceded fewer goals than Inter (10) before half-time this season. Eleven of the last 12 goals conceded by Mancini’s side have come in the second half.
Five of Udinese’s last six league goals have come from a cross from wide areas. Conversely, just one of Inter’s last 11 goals have stemmed from crosses.
The Nerazzurri have lost every one of the four home games they’ve fallen behind in this season.
PLAYERS IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Mauro Icardi and Ivan Perisic have either scored or assisted eight of Inter’s last nine league goals.
Perisic was the man behind three of Inter’s four shots on target against Genoa on Wednesday night.
Icardi fired a blank against Genoa after having scored in each of the previous three league matches. Mauro has scored four league goals in total against Udinese, all of which have come in the last three meetings between the two sides. Juventus (6) are the only side Icardi has scored more against.
Icardi has the best shots-to-goal ratio (31.9%) of any player to have scored more than six league goals this season. Eder (25%) also has a good ratio, but he’s still yet to find the net after ten Inter appearances.
Udinese – alongside Napoli – are Eder’s preferred victims in Serie A: he’s scored five goals against them, all of which have come in the last six games.
Stevan Jovetic has scored six goals in seven Serie A matches against Udinese, his best scoring record against any Italian side. Jovetic’s last league goal this season came in the reverse fixture earlier in the year.
Jonathan Biabiany made his Serie A debut against Udinese, in Parma’s 2-2 away draw on August 2009.
Juan Jesus’ only Serie A goal came in Inter’s 5-2 home defeat by Udinese in May 2013.
Rodrigo Palacio received his only Serie A red card against Udinese, while playing for Genoa in May 2012.
Silvan Widmer has laid on two assists in his last four appearances, his first assists this season.
Duvan Zapata is also in good form, having scored two and made two in his last six Serie A appearances. The Colombian has never faced Inter in the league.
Bruno Fernandes and Cyril Thereau have either scored or assisted all of Udinese last eight league goals. Both scored the last time Udinese played Inter at San Siro – the 2-1 Udinese win in December 2014.
Thereau has scored ten league goals for the second successive season and is one away from his personal best tally of 11, which he set while playing for Chievo in the 2012/13 season. He’s not scored away from home since 24 January, against Palermo.
Bruno Fernandes made his Serie A debut against Inter, as Udinese were beaten 3-0 at home in November 2013.
Danilo’s first Serie A goal came in the 3-1 home defeat by Inter in April 2012.
Maurizio Domizzi hasn’t scored a Serie A goal since May 2013, when he found the back of the net in Udinese’s 5-2 win over Inter at San Siro.
Samir Handanovic made his Serie A debut in 2005 for Udinese before racking up a total of 182 league appearances for the club between 2007 and 2012.
Giovanni Pasquale, meanwhile, made his Serie A debut in October 2002 for Inter. He made a total of 36 appearances for the Nerazzurri, scoring no goals.
Zdravko Kuzmanovic turned out for Inter between January 2013 and June 2015, making 42 league appearances for the club.
Felipe is another man to have represented both sides: he spent the second half of last season at Inter.
IN THE DUGOUT
Roberto Mancini was on the losing side the first time he faced Gigi De Canio (Lazio 0-1 Reggina in 2003) but has since gone three matches unbeaten against the current Udinese boss (one win, two draws).
Mancini has won nine of his 17 Serie A matches against Udinese. He’s also drawn six and lost the other two.
De Canio has managed just one point in six trips to the Meazza to face Inter in the league. It came when he was the manager of Siena.
REFEREE AND DISCIPLINE
Domenico Celi will be making his 124th Serie A appearance and his 16th of the current season. Considering referees with more than one appearance this season, Celi has the lowest fouls-to-cards ratio in Italy (4.7).
Inter have lost just one of their nine Serie A matches under Celi (against Cagliari in 2013), winning seven and drawing the other one.
Udinese, meanwhile, have won four, drawn one and lost five in 12 previous Serie A matches under Celi.
Only Napoli have committed fewer fouls this season than Inter (455). However, the Nerazzurri have picked up 89 cards (ten of which have been red) – it works out as a fouls-to-cards ratio of 5.1, the highest in Serie A.
SUSPENDED:
Inter: Medel (one match).
Udinese: Ali Adnan (one match).
ONE BOOKING AWAY:
Inter: Handanovic, Telles.
Udinese: Felipe, Kuzmanovic, Widmer, Zapata.
