Udinese delivered a stunning blow to Inter Milan, securing a 2-1 victory at the San Siro. Goals from Keinan Davis and Arthur Atta overturned an early Inter lead, handing Cristian Chivu his first defeat as Inter manager. Despite Inter’s late pressure and a disallowed goal, Udinese held on to claim a memorable win and move up to fifth in the Serie A standings.
In a stunning turn of events at the San Siro, Udinese orchestrated a remarkable comeback to defeat Inter Milan 2-1, handing the Nerazzurri their first Serie A defeat of the season. Keinan Davis and Arthur Atta etched their names into Udinese folklore with first-half goals that overturned an early deficit and secured a memorable victory.
Cristian Chivu, enjoying his first stint as Inter's head coach, had witnessed a scintillating 5-0 triumph over Torino in the opening match. However, Sunday's encounter served as a harsh reality check, exposing vulnerabilities in his team's armor against a resilient Udinese side.
The match began according to script for Inter, as Denzel Dumfries capitalized on a breathtaking team move to put the hosts ahead in the 17th minute. Lautaro Martinez's mesmerizing turn at the halfway line ignited the attack, followed by Marcus Thuram's inventive juggling act inside the penalty area. The ball eventually fell to Dumfries, who calmly slotted it home, sending the San Siro into raptures.
However, Udinese responded with unwavering resolve, leveling the score just 12 minutes later. Dumfries, who had moments before been the hero, became the villain as he was penalized for a handball inside the area. Former Aston Villa striker Keinan Davis showcased nerves of steel, coolly dispatching the penalty past Yann Sommer, who dived the wrong way.
Fueled by their equalizer, Udinese surged ahead five minutes before halftime. Davis turned provider, laying the ball off to Arthur Atta, who unleashed a sublime curling effort into the far corner, leaving Sommer with no chance. The San Siro was silenced as Udinese completed their remarkable turnaround.
Inter thought they had restored parity in the 56th minute when Federico Dimarco unleashed a powerful drive into the back of the net. However, their celebrations were short-lived as a VAR review deemed the goal invalid due to an offside infringement in the build-up. The decision further fueled Inter's frustration and added to the tension in the stadium.
Udinese had a golden opportunity to extend their lead, but Davis squandered a decent chance, failing to capitalize on a promising attacking move. As the clock ticked down, Inter launched a relentless siege on Udinese's goal, desperate to salvage a point from the match.
Nicolo Barella blazed over the bar following a goalmouth scramble, while Carlos Augusto saw his header bravely blocked on the line by a determined Udinese defender. Despite Inter's persistent pressure, Udinese's defense stood firm, repelling every attack and clinging to their slender lead.
The final whistle sparked scenes of jubilation among the Udinese players and fans as they celebrated a hard-fought victory. The win propelled Udinese above Inter in the Serie A standings, placing them fifth as the league heads into the international break. Napoli, Juventus, Cremonese and Roma are the only teams with maximum points after two games.
Data Debrief: Udinese End Nerazzurri Hoodoo
Kosta Runjaic's team arrived in Milan aiming to break an appalling away record against Inter.
Udinese had lost their previous seven away games against the Nerazzurri in Serie A, only ever losing more in a row at Fiorentina between 2008 and 2020 (13) and Napoli between 2015 and 2023 (10).
Chivu, on the other hand, hoped to become only the fifth Inter coach to win his first two Serie A games as manager without conceding, after Giuseppe Meazza in 1947, Alfredo Foni in 1952, Aldo Campatelli in 1955, and Walter Mazzarri in 2013.
However, Udinese refused to be demoralized by Dumfries' goal, coming back to score two first-half goals in an away game against Inter for the first time since May 19, 2013, when they secured a memorable 5-2 victory at San Siro.