Udinese Stun Inter Milan at San Siro to Hand Chivu First Defeat
MILAN – Inter Milan’s early title ambitions were dealt a surprise blow on Sunday as they fell to a 2-1 home defeat against a resilient Udinese side at the San Siro, marking the visitors’ first away victory against the Nerazzurri since 2017.
Despite taking an early lead, Inter looked a shadow of the team that thrashed Torino 5-0 on the opening day, succumbing to two first-half goals from a well-organized Udinese.
The hosts started brightly and found the opener in the 17th minute. Marcus Thuram, causing problems in the box, slid a pass across goal for an unmarked Denzel Dumfries to tap in. However, Udinese, who had looked dangerous from the start, were undeterred.
Their persistence paid off just 12 minutes later. Dumfries, the goalscorer, turned villain when he was penalized for a handball in the area. Striker Keinan Davis stepped up and coolly converted the penalty to draw Udinese level. The visitors completed their stunning first-half turnaround five minutes before the break. Davis turned provider, slipping a pass to Arthur Atta, who drove forward and expertly steered a shot from the edge of the area into the far corner.
Udinese manager Kosta Runjaic praised his match-winner, telling DAZN, “Now he has certainly become more dangerous.”
A reinvigorated Inter emerged after halftime and laid siege to the Udinese goal. They thought they had found an equalizer through Federico Dimarco, but the goal was ruled out for offside in the build-up. Despite relentless pressure, Inter could not find a way past a resolute Udinese defense that, in Runjaic’s words, defended with “intense focus and a hellish defence.”
The shock result leaves new Inter manager Cristian Chivu with early questions as his team already finds itself playing catch-up to rivals Napoli, Juventus, and others who have maximum points from two games. For Udinese, the famous victory at the San Siro provides a massive confidence boost, moving them to four points early in the campaign.