An extraordinary 5-3 victory at San Siro saw Inter overcome an early two-goal deficit against Udinese, driven by Nicolò Barella’s performance while goalkeeper Josep Martinez endured a difficult afternoon. Head coach Cristian Chivu navigated the chaotic fixture to maintain strong league momentum, with the team’s attack firing on all cylinders to secure the points.
A Shaky Start and Defensive Lapses
Udinese arrived at San Siro without any visible hesitation, stunning the home supporters by jumping out to a two-goal lead. According to match reports, defensive errors plagued the nerazzurri early on. Abankwah opened the scoring by capitalizing on loose marking, as Swiss defender Manuel Akanji struggled to track the run. Moments later, an awkward sequence compounded the hosts’ problems when an effort from Ekkelenkamp slipped past Josep Martinez, leaving the goalkeeper with heavy criticism for his positioning and handling on the play.
The collective defensive lapses left Chivu’s side searching for answers during a frantic opening half hour.
Barella Leads the Charge and Carlos Augusto Sparks the Comeback
Trailing by two, Inter found an immediate spark through wing-back Carlos Augusto, who unleashed a powerful long-range drive to beat Okoye, echoing his scoring exploits previously seen in Madrid. Energized by the breakthrough, Barella took total control of the midfield. He not only hammered home the equalizer before halftime but also initiated the sequence for the third goal with a precise, visionary long ball.
Coverages from la Repubblica and Inter.it underscored Barella’s tireless work rate, noting he was everywhere on the pitch, cleaning up loose balls and setting the tempo. Earning a top rating of 7,5 from match evaluators, the Italian international cemented his status as the man of the match.
The Second-Half Onslaught
Once Inter seized the lead, the game turned into a one-way onslaught. Marcus Thuram capitalized on a polished delivery from Diouf to make it 3-2, rewarding his own tireless shift as a focal point in attack. Piotr Zieliński orchestrated the play with effortless passing after the interval, sliding a clever assist for Pio Esposito to add the fourth. Substitute Bonny then came off the bench to add a fifth, putting the match out of reach despite a late response from Udinese’s Gueye.
Udinese goalkeeper Okoye made several crucial saves to prevent an even heavier defeat, though he admitted post-match to Fantacalcio that the team continues to concede far too many goals.
