On Saturday afternoon, Udinese and Inter will meet for the 103rd time. So far, the Nerazzurri have come out on top 53 times, while Udinese have won 22 matches, with 27 ending all-square. However, this time Udinese head into the contest higher in the league standings, a situation that has only occurred ten times in history. Udinese have won six of those ten previous meetings, including the most recent one on 18 September 2022 (3-1 at Bluenergy Stadium), which was also the last match between the two teams played in September.
Udinese have secured six points from their first two home matches of the season. Should they achieve a third consecutive victory, it would be only the fifth time in the club’s history. This has previously occurred in 1950/51, 2000/01, 2011/12 and 2014/15. On the first and last occasions, Udinese were led by new managers Guido Testolina and Andrea Stramaccioni. A win would see Kosta Runjaic join them in the three consecutive home triumphs club.
Both Udinese and Inter have shown their clinical finishing prowess so far this season, sharing fourth place in the Serie A conversion rate ranks (14.3%). Udinese are currently third for converting big chances (63%). Runjaic’s side have also excelled at creating opportunities from the wings: no team has completed a higher percentage of crosses (34%) – with Inter just behind on 33% – and no team has scored more goals from crosses, with four.
Udinese will once again again rely on their captain and vice-captain against Inter. Florian Thauvin is enjoying his best start to a season since 2020/21, when he played for Marseille, contributing to four goals (as he did in 2018/19). Alongside Verona’s Reda Belahyane, he leads the way in Serie A for completed dribbles. On Saturday, Thauvin will face a challenge with Marcus Thuram, who is one goal ahead of him in the scoring charts (four to three). Jaka Bijol is second in Serie A for headed clearances (20, with only Empoli’s Ardian Ismajili on more) and has made the most passes, defensive clearances and blocks for Udinese.
Bijol scored his first Serie A goal against Inter in a 3-1 triumph in 2022/23 and is one of only two current Udinese players, along with Sandi Lovric, to have scored against the Nerazzurri. On the opposing side, Udinese will be up against two players who consider the Friulians to be one of their favourite victims: Davide Frattesi and Piotr Zielinski. The Polish midfielder is one of two former Udinese players in the match, alongside Daniele Padelli on the opposite bench. Both played together for Udinese in 2012/13. The former player with the most anticipation surrounding him, Alexis Sanchez, will not be involved unfortunately.
This season, Udinese have scored five of their seven goals in the second half, while Inter have netted the most goals in the first 15 minutes, with three. At the same time, the Nerazzurri have conceded three goals in the last quarter of an hour, with only Como faring worse. Udinese have exclusively scored from inside the box, while Simone Inzaghi’s side have conceded all their goals from within the penalty area. Only Torino, Roma and Empoli have a better difference between expected goals against and goals conceded than Runjaic’s charges (8.9 xGa with seven goals conceded), while only Monza and Verona have a better difference than the Nerazzurri between goals scored and expected goals (ten goals from 8.1 xG). Udinese are yet to concede a header this season.