After the self-inflicted heartbreak of the midweek Champions League exit, it is of extreme importance to reset the season by putting down a marker against the visiting Udinese. Match on today at 18:00 CET.

Plenty has happened in the Inter-verse since last week’s Derby D’Italia; Inter disappointingly crashed out of the Champions League after failing to win at home against group minnows PSV on Tuesday. On Thursday, the Club announced the formal arrival of Beppe Marotta as CEO of Sport Affairs on a three-year deal that will see the veteran Italian director try and narrow the gap between the Nerazzurri and the Kingdom of Darkness Juventus. But all this off pitch planning and dreaming means little if the team is unable to find the right results on the pitch.

The match against lowly Udinese will be seen not only as a must-win, but an absolute-undoubted-must-win. Inter must demonstrate to themselves, to the fans and to the whole league that their fragile mentality of past seasons is now long-gone and that the team has the mental fortitude to pack away a midweek disappointment to go about their business on the weekend.

Luciano Spalletti will probably set the side up with the usual formation, but may have Keita Balde playing off Mauro Icardi on the left flank. The midfield trio of Marcelo Brozovic, Joao Mario and Roberto Gagliardini have previously shown to work well together, but one might expect to see them operating as a fluid three man midfield rather than a defensive double pivot behind a more trequartista-esque player. Whatever the formation or line-up, nothing will matter if the players aren’t mentally prepared for the game. The boys must be assertive but not frantic, confident but not wasteful and assertive but not violent.

Team News

Radja Nainngolan is expected to sit this match out on the bench as well. It seems that the misfiring Ivan Perisic will be replaced by Keita Balde, and finally, with Vecino still out injured, Roberto Gagliardini will almost definitely slot in next to Marcelo Brozovic in the center of the pitch.

Probable Inter line-u: (4-2-3-1): Handanovic; Vrsalijko, Skriniar, DiVrij, Asamoah; Gagliardini, Brozovic; Politano, Joao Mario, Keita; Icardi (C).

Stats

Last Season: Inter 1 – 3 Udinese.

Last 10 Head to Head: Inter have dominated Udinese over the last ten matches with 7 wins to the visitor’s pair and having scored 26 goals over the course of said matches. However, the memory of last season’s home drubbing, which began Inter’s terrible run of form, will still be fresh in the Nerazzurri hearts and minds. Coincidentally, last year’s match was played 364 days ago.

Player to Watch:

Kwadwo Asamoah: The Ghanaian full-back has had a terrible run of form, he the primary culprit in allowing the Juventus winning goal, and offered very little positives against PSV midweek. If the experienced full-back is to get back to top form, now is the time to do so.

Officials

Referee: Rosario Abisso .
Assistants: Bottegoni and Santoro.
Fourth Official: Piscopo.
VAR Officials: Calvarese and Schenone.

Prediction & Concluding remarks

Prediction & scorers: Inter 3-0 Udinese with an Icardi brace and a Keita single.

Concluding remarks: Inter can ask for a no better fixture to get back to winning ways than to facing Udinese at home. The players must step onto the pitch with nothing but a comprehensive win on their mind. Not only is it important for the season, it is equally important and symbolic to win here at the same fixture that started the downward spiral from last season.

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