Serie A | Udinese 1-2 Inter: Nerazzurri saved with late winner as hosts condemned | OneFootball

League leaders Inter left it late to secure all three points over Serie A strugglers Udinese, needing a Davide Frattesi winner in extra time to pick up a tense 2-1 win.

The Nerazzurri are only weeks away from securing their Scudetto after a near-flawless campaign in Serie A, having won 25 of their 30 games this term. Their victory will earn the second Scudetto star on their shirt, giving them bragging rights over rivals Milan.

Udinese, on the other hand, have been disastrous this season and find themselves in a brewing relegation battle with less than two months left to play, raising the tension for Gabriele Cioffi and his players.

Inter held off by Udinese

Udinese kicked off the action at the Bluenergy Stadium, but it didn’t take long for Inter to start taking control of the proceedings, remaining patient in early build-up as they sussed out the Friulian defence.

The Nerazzurri briefly thought they deserved a penalty after Kingsley Ehizibue seemingly brought down Federico Dimarco whilst challenging for the ball, but no action was taken.

Inter’s pressure continued to build throughout the first half but strong chances were lacking, with Hakan Calhanoglu coming the closest on two occasions. Both times, however, he was denied by Maduka Okoye.

Just as the Nerazzurri seemed on the cusp of breaking the deadlock, Udinese turned the match on its head.

After a quick burst forward, Lazar Samardzic found himself on the edge of the penalty with a yard of two of space. His shot was immediately deflected, but a confusing stop from Denzel Dumfries allowed the ball to sail past a confused Yann Sommer into the back of the net, making it 1-0.

Inter couldn’t respond in the remaining minutes of the first half, leaving them with a tall task ahead in the second half.

Only minutes into the second half, drama stuck; Inter thought they’d equaliser through a Carlos Augusto header following a free kick, but play was stopped after the flag is raised. Following a lengthy VAR check, the goal was chalked off for an apparent flick from the offside Lautaro.

It didn’t take long for the visitors to finally find their way in. In the 53rd minute, Okoye got an interception incredibly wrong, fouling Marcus Thuram to gift Inter a penalty. Hakan Calhanoglu stepped up and made no mistake, tying it up for Inter 1-1.

Inter continued to press throughout the second half, but Udinese remained resilient in defence, consistently denying the league leaders to try and hold onto their crucial point.

In the 94th minute, the Nerazzurri’s blood, sweat and tears were rewarded. A great low shot from Lautaro was fingertipped onto the post by Okoye and bounced out, where it was met by a sprinting Davide Frattesi, who smashed it home to make it 2-1 for the league leaders.