John Stones' full debut ended in a hamstring scare, but the real damage was done to Udinese's resolve as Inter recovered from a two-goal hole to win a chaotic 5-3 thriller and preserve their perfect domestic record.
For the second consecutive Serie A matchday, Simone Inzaghi's side found themselves 2-0 down inside the opening quarter at San Siro. Udinese struck through James Abankwah in the 9th minute and Jürgen Ekkelenkamp in the 16th, silencing the home crowd and reigniting fears from the Napoli comeback.
The tension boiled over in the 19th minute when assistant coach Aleksandar Kolarov was shown a straight red card for furious dissent following Ekkelenkamp's close-range finish. Keinan Davis had broken down the left channel and rolled a low cross into the six-yard box for the Dutchman to toe-poke home.
Instead of collapsing, Inter responded with the composure of title contenders. Carlos Augusto pulled one back in the 26th minute, and Nicolò Barella levelled in the 35th after Marcus Thuram's clever setup. The hosts went from chaos to control, finishing the half level at 2-2 despite Udinese's early storm.
Thuram's ruthless finish breaks Udinese resistance
Marcus Thuram's second half proved decisive. In the 57th minute, Andy Diouf beat his marker to the byline and cut a pass back for the Frenchman, who placed a first-time right-footed side-foot finish into the net. It was a goal of surgical precision in a match defined by defensive errors.
From there, Inter's attacking depth overwhelmed Udinese. Francesco Esposito, set up by Piotr Zieliński, added a fourth in the 67th minute. Ange-Yoan Bonny made it 5-2 in the 79th, completing a devastating second-half blitz that saw the hosts outshoot Udinese 27-6 overall and win 10 corners to the visitors' 1.
Udinese's late consolation came from Idrissa Gueye in the 90th minute, but the damage had long been done. Their defensive collapse after taking the lead spoke to a wider fragility — a side that has now conceded five times this season in just four matches.
Stones exit and Roma loom large
The 65th-minute departure of Stones with an apparent hamstring strain was the one sour note on an otherwise emphatic recovery. The former Manchester City defender had shown composure on his first start since his summer transfer, but Inter's medical staff will now race to assess his fitness ahead of next weekend's trip to the Stadio Olimpico.
That fixture — against joint-leaders AS Roma — now carries enormous consequence. Inter sit second on 12 points from four matches, level with Roma, and this comeback proved their resilience is no fluke. Twice in a fortnight, they have turned a 2-0 home deficit into victory. Roma will not have missed that warning.
Match Information
Competition: Serie A
Date & Time: Monday 14 September 2026, 20:45 CET
Venue: San Siro/Giuseppe Meazza, Milano
Referee: Luca Pairetto, Italy
