Inter got the job done in the first half with Ivan Perisic’s header and Lautaro Martinez on the rebound from a missed penalty, keeping the gap from leaders Milan at two points.
The Nerazzurri were feeling the pressure after their rescheduled midweek defeat to Bologna gave Milan a two-point lead at the top. Hakan Calhanoglu was suspended, with Alessandro Bastoni injured, but Samir Handanovic returned between the posts after Ionut Radu’s howler. Norberto Beto was out and Jean-Victor Makengo sat out a ban, with the Friulani fresh from a 4-0 win away to Fiorentina.
Inter had taken the lead in Bologna with an Ivan Perisic goal and he did it again here, his header at the near post from a Federico Dimarco corner.
Handanovic had to make the save on a Walace snapshot, with Marco Silvestri doing the same on Dimarco.
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Udinese were already without Beto and lost Isaac Success too with an apparent hamstring strain, but still caused problems with a Gerard Deulofeu roll across for Ignacio Pussetto, blocked off by Dimarco.
Silvestri stuck up a hand for a desperate save on Lautaro Martinez’s chip and Edin Dzeko was tripped on the rebound by Pablo Mari. After a VAR review, the referee awarded the penalty to Inter.
Lautaro Martinez fired his spot-kick onto the upright and nodded in on the rebound to double their lead. There was some confusion, as if Silvestri hadn’t touched it with his arm after the woodwork, then Lautaro could not have scored directly from the rebound.
Both Perisic and Dzeko should’ve made more of counter-attacks after the restart, while Walace blasted wide for Udinese.
Inter increasingly looked as if they just wanted to sit on their lead, but Udinese got one back when Handanovic made a sensational one-handed save on Gerard Deulofeu’s free kick, but Destiny Udogie rolled across the rebound for Pussetto’s tap-in.
Tucu Correa stung Silvestri’s gloves at the near post, while Arturo Vidal had the ball in the net only after wandering several metres offside.
There were concerns in the final minute, as Barella went off with a swollen knee, forcing Simone Inzaghi to change his last substitution.
Udinese 1-2 Inter
Perisic 12 (I), Lautaro Martinez 39 (I), Pussetto 72 (U)
Missed penalty: Lautaro Martinez 39 (I)