Serie A | Inter 5-3 Udinese: Spectacular comeback in eight-goal thriller

For the second Serie A game in a row, Inter came back from 2-0 down to win, this time crushing Udinese 5-3 in a chaotic encounter at San Siro.

The Nerazzurri had a perfect start in Serie A thanks to a comeback from 2-0 down to beat Napoli 3-2, but lost their Champions League opener 2-1 to Real Madrid this week following some costly individual errors.

Cristian Chivu rotated, giving John Stones his first start, but resting Lautaro Martinez, Yann Bisseck and Hakan Calhanoglu, along with not fully fit Federico Dimarco and injured Djed Spence. The Friulani had an injury crisis, missing Oumar Solet, Nicolò Zaniolo, Juan Arizala, Matteo Palma and Jakub Piotrowski, the Poland international undergoing surgery today to correct a benign cardiac arrhythmia.

Udinese took a surprising early lead, as a corner was taken short and Unai Gomez floated in the cross from the right for the James Abankwah free header, looping back into the top corner from seven yards. It was the former Watford midfielder’s debut Serie A goal.

Marcus Thuram got on the end of a Niccolò Barella ball over the top, but Maduka Okoye made the save on both the header and the follow-up from close range.

However, Inter were visibly sluggish and slow to react for the second Udinese goal. Keinan Davis got down the left and rolled it across, where Jurgen Ekkelenkamp was allowed to tap in at the near post undisturbed.

Thuram had penalty appeals rejected for a tussle with Christian Kabasele, so assistant manager Aleksandar Kolarov was sent off from the touchline for dissent.

Inter did get one back when Carlos Augusto hit a left-foot screamer from 20 yards out into the far bottom corner, just days after finding the net against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu.

The 2-0 advantage was wiped out in under 10 minutes, as Hassane Kamara was muscled out of possession in midfield, Barella stumbled at first on the Thuram lay-off, but got back on his feet to rifle in the angled drive.

Barella nearly turned it around completely before half-time, his strike acrobatically palmed over the bar by Okoye, then Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s effort charged down on the corner.

After the restart, Okoye flew for a great save to deny Mkhitaryan at the near post from 10 yards, then Kamara was caught napping as Andy Diouf ran onto the Barella ball over the top, sprinted from midfield and pulled back from the by-line for Thuram to sweep in first-time from eight yards. For the second Serie A game in a row, Inter went from 2-0 down to lead 3-2.

Stones was chasing down Davis when he pulled up with an injury and had to come off, but Inter extended their advantage for 4-2 with a well-worked passing move. Curtis Jones and Piotr Zielinski combined to lay it off for Francesco Pio Esposito’s low drive from 12 yards.

Dimarco made his return from a knee injury that forced him to miss the Madrid trip, and participated in the fifth goal. It was a well-worked team move, Dimarco, Esposito and Diouf combining to send Ange-Yoan Bonny clear, the first shot was parried, but the second was not to be denied.

Aleksandar Stankovic came close to a sixth, his free kick taking a deflection going through the wall and clipping the outside of the upright.

Udinese did get another back in added time, Vakoun Bayo chesting down the Sandi Lovric cross for teammate Idrissa Gueye to come sliding in at the back stick.

Inter 5-3 Udinese

Abankwah 9 (U), Ekkelenkamp 16 (U), Carlos Augusto 26 (I), Barella 35 (I), Thuram 57 (I), Pio Esposito 67 (I), Bonny 79 (I), Gueye 91 (U)

14-09-2026 19:45

MatchDay 4

Inter

Udinese

Live

Player statistic

1st half

2nd half

Starting lineups

1 Josep Martínez Goalkeeper

95 Alessandro Bastoni Defender 70'

6 John Stones Defender 62'

25 Manuel Akanji Defender

30 Carlos Augusto Midfielder

22 Henrikh Mkhitaryan Midfielder 62'

23 Nicolò Barella Midfielder

7 Piotr Zielinski Midfielder 82'

17 Andy Diouf Attacker

94 Pio Esposito Attacker

9 Marcus Thuram Attacker 70'

40 Maduka Okoye Goalkeeper

27 Christian Kabasele Defender

77 Enzo Ebosse Defender

11 Hassane Kamara Defender

14 James Abankwah Defender

23 Mërgim Vojvoda Defender 74'

8 Jesper Karlström Midfielder

32 Jurgen Ekkelenkamp Midfielder 80'

38 Lennon Miller Midfielder 73'

46 Unai Gómez Midfielder 61'

9 Keinan Davis Attacker 80'

Substitutes

10 Lautaro Martínez Attacker

49 Ivan Provedel Goalkeeper

11 Luis Henrique Attacker

12 Raffaele Di Gennaro Goalkeeper

31 Yann Bisseck Defender

8 Petar Sucic Defender

48 Mattia Mosconi Attacker

21 Curtis Jones Midfielder 62'

28 Benjamin Pavard Defender 62'

32 Federico Dimarco Defender 70'

14 Ange-Yoan Bonny Defender 70'

5 Aleksandar Stankovic Midfielder 82'

93 Daniele Padelli Goalkeeper

6 Oier Zarraga Midfielder

91 Lazar Jovanovic Attacker

41 Bartosz Mrozek Goalkeeper

45 Giulio Vinciati Attacker

7 Idrissa Gueye Attacker 61'

30 Giorgi Chakvetadze Midfielder 73'

13 Nicolò Bertola Defender 74'

4 Sandi Lovric Midfielder 80'

15 Vakoun Bayo Attacker 80'