Inter Milan overcame an inspired Udinese 2-1 thanks to a 95th-minute Davide Frattesi winner, and kept their romp to the Serie A title going by restoring their 14-point lead at the top.
The runaway league leaders were the last team relegation-threatened Udinese would have wanted to face but Gabriele Cioffi’s injury-hit side threw the form book out of the window by taking a gutsy lead just before half-time thanks to a comedy of errors in the visiting defence.
Yann Sommer and Denzel Dumfries each left the other to deal with Lazar Samardzic’s plodding cross-turned shot, and then looked on with horror as it rolled into the net – but that at least finally kicked Inter into life after an equally slow start.
The champions-in-waiting didn’t take long to hit back. After seeing a 48th-minute goal disallowed, Hakan Calhanoglu fired home a penalty soon after and both sides had chances to win it at the death.
But despite extending his goal drought to four games, Lautaro Martinez did contribute in a different way as his injury-time skidded shot thudded into the post and straight back into the path of Frattesi to break home hearts.
The sign of a champion team is they can win without playing their best, and Simone Inzhaghi would certainly have had some choice words at the end of a meandering first half.
While controlling much of the ball, Inter were sloppy in possession and that eventually led to Udinese’s goal when Hassane Kamara sprinted onto a wayward pass.
Frattesi was mobbed by his teammates at the final whistle as if he’d scored a cup-winning strike, perhaps reflecting that Inter knew he’d got them out of jail late on.
However, the three points all count the same and Inter remain on-track to take a domineering Serie A title – they could even seal it with a win over city and stadium rivals AC Milan in a fortnight.
Talking point: Frattesi leaves Udinese mired in relegation scrap
Inzhaghi pledged €33 million for Frattesi’s loan-to-buy transfer last summer in a bid to give his side a better cutting edge from midfield, but that plan didn’t appear to be paying dividends for much of the second half at the Bluenergy Stadium.
Frattesi fired several well-worked chances well over the bar as Inter appeared to be destined for a draw, but his late late show instead denied Udinese a valuable point sat just two above the Serie A dropzone, and that wasn’t the end of the bad news.
Florian Thauvin – who himself could’ve netted a late goal – pulled up with a hamstring problem in the closing stages but hobbled on as the hosts battled desperately for a shock point, and looked in serious discomfort at the final whistle that was nothing to do with the result.
Gabriele Cioffi gains top-scorer Lorenzo Lucca back from suspension next time out but with star men Gerard Deulofeu and Keinan Davis already unavailable and Sandi Lovric stretchered off tonight, the holes are appearing quicker than the boss can plug them.
Udinese face the current 14th, 16th, 17th and 18th-placed sides in their run-in with the last of those teams, Frosinone, coming away from home on the final day of the season so it’s the worst possible time for an injury crisis.
But with tough games against Roma, Bologna and Napoli sprinkled into their run-in, Udinese can’t afford to mourn this gut-wrenching loss for long.
Player of the match: Henrikh Mkhitaryan
The Armenian wasn’t directly involved in any goals, but that was more the problem of the finishers as he was Inter’s sparkiest player in the first-half.
However, he had just as important an involvement at the other end of the pitch, as Thauvin received a cross for a clear one-on-one shot at close range, Mkhitaryan somehow managed to reach his foot around and deny the Frenchman, while also avoiding giving away a penalty.
Player ratings
UDINESE: Okoye 6, Perez 5, Bijol 6, Kristensen 7, Ehizibue 6, Samardzic 7, Walace 6, Zarraga 5, Kamara 7, Pereyra 6, Thauvin 7. Subs: Ferreira 6, Lovric 5, Payero 6, Zemura 6, Ebosele 6.
INTER MILAN: Sommer 5, Pavard 6, Acerbi 5, Augusto 6, Dumfries 6, Barella 6, Calhanoglu 7, Mkhitaryan 7, Dimarco 7, Martinez 6, Thuram 6. Subs: Frattesi 7, Darmian 6, Sanchez 6, Arnautovic 7, Buchanan 6.
Match highlights
40’ – GOAL! UDINESE 1-0 INTER (SAMARZDIC): And they’ve made them pay!!! It’s an absolute howler from Inter too. Kamara intercepted yet another wayward pass from the back three and burst forwards, feeding Pereyra who found Smardzic too keep the attack motoring. He was forced out wide and then cut back on the edge of the box and aimed a low pass towards the back post for a forward to run on to, but it was on target and Sommer left it to Dumfries to clear, who left it to Sommer to save and it’s in!
42’ – ALMOST AN EQUALISER! Wow, that would’ve been some reply. Mkhitaryan has been Inter’s best player in a misfiring first-half and that’s the case again here, he charges forwards and then finds Martinez in the box who meets it with a powerful header that’s stopped by a fantastic Okoye save.
48’ – GOAL!! UDINESE 1-1 INTER (AUGUSTO): That was out of nowhere! Dimarco lifted a free-kick into the box from deep and Lautaro Martinez rose highest to head it down. His attempt was off-target but bounced through to Carlos Alberto who’d wandered to the far post and turns it in from point-blank range!
50’ – GOAL DISALLOWED!! Udinese immediately looked for the assistant referee’s flag but it stayed down and the Inter celebrations began in earnest. However, then VAR intervened and though Martinez’s header seemed to bounce off a Udinese hand, it’s chalked off.
53’ – PENALTY!!! It’s all happening! It was another aerial ball lifted in from deep and Okoye was slightly slow off his line while Thuram got ahead of the ball and turned his back to goal as he leapt to meet it. And Okoye’s tardiness was punished, his forearm made contact with the striker’s head and the referee points straight to the spot.
55’ GOAL!! UDINESE 1-1 INTER (CALHANOGLU): The Turk was one of the few Nerazzurri to score in the Champions League defeat spot-kick defeat to Atletico Madrid, and he produces a really special penalty here. It was low to Okoye’s left and though the lanky Nigerian guessed correctly, he was nowhere near it. Inter are back!
90+5’ – GOAL!!! UDINESE 1-2 INTER MILAN (FRATTESI): Heartbreak for Udinese, jubilation for Inter! The hosts have battled so well tonight but it will be all for nothing as a neat backheel from Marko Arnautovic found Martinez at full pelt. His low driven shot slams into the post but bounces back straight into the path of Frattesi, and that’s surely game over…
Key stats
Inter have now won 12 Serie A games out of 13 in 2024.