Inter Milan strengthened their grip on the Serie A summit with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Udinese at home on Sunday.
Early strikes from Marko Arnautovic and Davide Frattesi gave the reigning champions the edge, while goalkeeper Yann Sommer’s heroics in the closing stages ensured they held on to all three points.
Manager Simone Inzaghi was dismissed late in the game after angrily storming onto the pitch to protest a refereeing decision.
Inter wasted little time asserting their dominance, with Arnautovic breaking the deadlock in the 12th minute.
The Austrian forward capitalized on a precise pass from Federico Dimarco, firing a first-time shot past the Udinese goalkeeper.
Frattesi soon followed suit, extending the lead before the half-hour mark with a clinical half-volley—again courtesy of Dimarco’s delivery.
Udinese struggled to create meaningful chances in the first half but came close when Lorenzo Lucca’s header was denied by Sommer.
The visitors, however, found a lifeline in the 71st minute when Oumar Solet produced a moment of brilliance. The French defender embarked on a solo run from deep in his own half before unleashing a powerful long-range strike into the net.
Inter’s advantage came under further threat in the dying minutes, but Sommer was equal to the challenge, pulling off a series of key saves.
He first thwarted another Lucca header before denying Solet from close range in stoppage time.
With the win, Inter temporarily widened the gap at the top to six points, pending Napoli’s showdown with AC Milan later in the day. Udinese, meanwhile, remained 10th on 40 points.
The Nerazzurri, who face city rivals AC Milan in the Coppa Italia semifinals on Wednesday, demonstrated their attacking intent from the outset.
Hakan Çalhanoglu signaled their early intent with a powerful strike that grazed the side netting within the opening minute.
Frattesi nearly found the net before Arnautovic’s opener, rattling the post with a shot just moments earlier. The former Bologna forward, in fine form, then slotted home from Dimarco’s pass, making it two goals in as many Serie A appearances.
Inter, still competing across multiple fronts, notably rested captain Lautaro Martínez, while Nicolò Barella made a second-half cameo. Udinese, on the other hand, were without key attackers Alexis Sánchez and Florian Thauvin.
While the visitors pushed for a late equalizer, Sommer’s resilience between the posts proved decisive as Inter held firm to maintain their title charge.
