Thanks to Arnautovic and Asllani, Inter gets rid of Udinese without too much trouble and flies to the quarter-finals of the Italian Cup, where they will challenge Lazio in February. Without shining but without even suffering, Simone Inzaghi’s Nerazzurri got the better of the Friulians, who almost didn’t let Josep Martinez, making his debut between the Inter posts, get his gloves dirty, except in the final on the Juventus’ only shot on goal. The former Genoa goalkeeper was one of the nine changes made by the Nerazzurri coach compared to the away match against Lazio last Monday.
A massive turnover that had an effect on the game, not as fluid as usual except for a few flashes, but not on the result. Mission successful, therefore, also resting several big names (in particular De Vrij, Thuram and Dimarco), also considering that Barella will be missing against Como on Monday, stopped for a slight elongation of the adductor longus of the right thigh with the aim of returning for the match on 28 December against Cagliari.
Inter’s only real thrill against Udinese came after less than two minutes, when Ekkelenkamp’s right-footed shot from the edge of the box grazed the post to Martinez’s left. Inter tries to play at a small trot, often manages to elude the pressure of Runjaic’s men, but struggles to accelerate. When he does, however, he goes on goal, like when Asllani invents for Arnautovic who after a fake kick with his left foot finding the deflection of Kabasele with his arm: referee Massimi awards the penalty, but is called back to the VAR and thus retraces his steps .
The challenge drags on wearily, without particular acceleration or emotions. At least until Ekkelenkamp falls asleep and serves Taremi on the Friulians’ frontline: the Iranian catches a nice cut from Arnautovic who puts the Nerazzurri ahead with a diagonal left-footed shot. The Austrian seems particularly inspired, he also puts Carlos Augusto on goal, from whose powerful left foot Piana saves himself by putting a corner.
Again on the occasion of a corner kick for Inter, the match was stopped for over 5 minutes due to an illness of a fan in the first blue tier (after cardiac massage in the stands, he was taken to hospital and is in stable conditions). The match restarts and the Nerazzurri immediately take advantage, finding the goal directly from a corner kicked by Asllani.
In the second half, therefore, Inter limited themselves to control, without taking any risks, in fact coming close to making it 3-0 with Taremi who, alone and face to face with Piana, kicked onto the post with the goal unprotected, while Inzaghi, in an attempt to close out the match, also inserted some big names like Lautaro, Calhanoglu and Dumfries, also giving space to some young people like Aidoo and Palacios. But in the final there is also room to show the skills between the posts of Josep Martinez, who responds with a great dive on a powerful left-footed shot from Touré, practically Udinese’s only real shot on goal in the entire 90′ . The Nerazzurri thus return to the quarter-finals of the Italian Cup, where in February they will challenge Lazio and continue the race on three fronts, also considering the championship and Champions League.
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