Inter took another step towards the Serie A title as a stoppage-time goal from Davide Frattesi secured a 2-1 come-from-behind win at Udinese
Five minutes into added time, Lautaro Martínez unleashed a low shot that Udinese goalkeeper Maduka Okoye managed to tip on to the post but Frattesi pounced to slot home the rebound.
Udinese had stunned the visitors with a soft goal by Lazar Samardzic before the break but Inter were soon level when Hakan Calhanoglu converted a penalty 10 minutes into the second half. Runaway leaders Inter are 14 points clear of second-placed Milan, boasting 82 points with seven rounds remaining. For relegation-threatened Udinese, the late goal was like a dagger to the heart of their hard-working defence with the side in 15th place with 28 points, two points above the drop zone.
“I would like to congratulate Udinese, they played a great match and losing like this is annoying. But I think they can be saved with their organisation,” Inter’s manager Simone Inzaghi told Sky Sports Italia. “We respected the opponent but we put our heart into, also driven by our fans. We believed and never gave up. We have achieved 26 victories in 31 games. A great run. Now we have to stay clear. There is great harmony, everyone helps each other. Eight points to go.”
Inter took control early in the match but seemed to take their time in the build-up, looking for weaknesses in Udinese’s rearguard, and did not create many chances. The visitors got their best chance of the first half when Hakan Calhanoglu sent a rocket towards goal on the half-hour mark but Okoye made an impressive reaction save to deny him.
Udinese went ahead five minutes before half-time, when poor communication between Inter’s defence and static keeper Yann Sommer allowed a weak deflected cross from Samardzic to somehow find its way into the bottom corner of the net.
Inter started the second period with a vengeance and dominated possession in the opening stages, Carlos Augusto scoring with a free-kick only to be denied by the offside flag. Calhanoglu then did level with a spot kick after Okoye collided with Marcus Thurman in an aerial challenge. Inter’s aggression began to influence the match, albeit with its intensity seemingly waning before Frattesi’s decider sparked a frenzy of celebration on the visiting bench.
“How the game ended really hurts,” said Samardzic. “The point would have mattered a lot but we must look forward with our heads held high and do better in our coming games.”