Inter set to respond against Udinese after Madrid defeat
Inter know this script. A bruising night in Europe, questions over the goalkeeper, a league game at San Siro that they simply cannot afford to slip in. Udinese arrive on Monday night with memories of last season’s shock win in this stadium. Inter arrive with the look of champions who have already been warned.
Kick-off is 19:45 BST on Matchday 4 of the 2026/27 Serie A season. Six days after a narrow 2-1 defeat at the Bernabéu, Cristian Chivu’s side have had time to reset, refocus and remember where their title defence is really judged.
Champions already showing their edge
Inter have taken maximum points in the league so far, and done it in different ways. They dismantled Monza 4-1, handled their business away at Cagliari, then went blow for blow with Napoli in a frantic 3-2 win at San Siro.
Those Napoli-type nights matter. Teams that keep grinding out those tight victories tend to be the ones still standing in May. Inter have already shown they can live in that tension and still find a way.
Europe brought a jolt. A 2-1 loss at Real Madrid in their opening UCL league-phase match stung, not least because of Josep Martínez’s error at the Bernabéu. Chivu did not flinch in public, backing his goalkeeper and trying to shut down a debate before it grows. The scrutiny remains. So does the sense that Inter will respond.
Udinese awkward, wounded – but dangerous
Udinese travel with four points from their first three Serie A games. They drew 1-1 with lively Como, won away at Monza and then slipped to a 2-1 home defeat against Lazio.
That Lazio match came at a cost. Kosta Runjaić lost Jakub Piotrowski and Oumar Solet to first-half injuries; both are doubts for Monday. Keinan Davis was also taken off early to manage his workload, while Nicolò Zaniolo and Giorgi Chakvetadze are already ruled out.
So this is not a full-strength Udinese. But it is a side that knows how to survive. Runjaić’s team sit deep, counter hard and rarely get blown away. They have yet to lose by more than a single goal this season, and they beat Inter 2-1 at San Siro at a similar stage last year. That result will be on every Inter mind in the tunnel.
Likely lineups: power vs pragmatism
Inter are expected to line up with Josep Martínez in goal, a back three of Bisseck, Akanji and Bastoni, with Dumfries and Dimarco offering width. Barella, Çalhanoğlu and Sucic should control the middle, with Marcus Thuram supporting Lautaro Martínez up front.
Udinese’s likely XI has Maduka Okoye in goal, Kristensen, Kabasele and Abankwah as the defensive trio, Ehizibue and Kamara patrolling the flanks. Ekkelenkamp, Karlström and Atta are set to work centrally, with Davis and Bayo leading the line.
On paper, Inter have the quality to dominate. On the pitch, Udinese’s structure and low block can drag anyone into a grind.
Inter to win, but Udinese to land a punch
Udinese have scored in five of their last nine visits to Inter. They also struck first against Lazio before injuries tore up Runjaić’s plans. They are not easily silenced.
Inter, for all their control, have shown cracks. Napoli scored twice at San Siro. Real Madrid did the same at the Bernabéu. With Martínez under the microscope and Udinese ready to spring forward when they can, backing the visitors to score while still expecting an Inter win fits the pattern of both teams’ early-season form.
Inter have won eight of the last 10 meetings between these clubs, with no draws in that run. A home win remains the overwhelmingly likely outcome, but the market price on Inter to win and both teams to score offers more value than a straight Inter victory.
Udinese handicap: trusting the margin, not the upset
There’s another angle. Inter’s trip to Madrid was intense, and long European nights often leave a trace in the legs when Serie A resumes.
Udinese, meanwhile, have not been blown away by anyone this season. Their only defeat was that 2-1 reverse to Lazio. Their style naturally limits heavy losses: sit deep, stay compact, spring forward when the chance appears. It’s not pretty, but it is effective at keeping the scoreline respectable.
Inter’s thriller against Napoli ended with just a one-goal cushion. A similar margin here would be no surprise. With Udinese +2 on the handicap (3-way), the bet pays if the visitors win, draw or lose by a single goal. It only fails if Inter run away with it and win by three or more.
Given Udinese’s resilience and Inter’s European workload, trusting the visitors to stay within two goals looks a measured call.
Lautaro’s numbers demand a response
Then there is Lautaro Martínez. The numbers say he is simmering.
Two goals from 3.1 expected goals in Serie A so far. A striker of his calibre does not usually live under his xG for long. His 1.18 xG per 90 minutes is the mark of a forward constantly arriving in the right zones, constantly threatening.
Last season he hit 17 league goals and 22 in all competitions. Now he faces an Udinese defence missing Oumar Solet from the back three, a loss that already disrupted their shape badly against Lazio.
At San Siro, with Inter likely to pin Udinese back and pile on wave after wave of pressure, Lautaro should see repeated chances. Backing him to score at any time looks justified at the current implied probability.
Prediction: champions to respond, but not cruise
The scoreline that ties all of this together? Inter 2-1 Udinese.
Inter to win and both teams to score. Udinese to stay within two goals on the handicap. Lautaro Martínez to finally cash in on the chances his movement keeps creating.
The champions have already shown they can suffer and still come out on top. On Monday night, with Udinese stubborn as ever and the memory of Madrid still fresh, we find out how ruthless they really plan to be this season.
