Overview
- Inter host Udinese at San Siro as they aim to recover from the Champions League defeat to Real Madrid and consolidate their place at the top of Serie A.
- Manager Cristian Chivu said recent Champions League form has been poor, noting the team won only one of the last six or seven matches but praised the squad’s courage and character in Madrid.
- Chivu gave concrete fitness updates: Federico Dimarco is back in the squad, Djed Spence remains on the mend, Hakan Calhanoglu’s preparation was delayed by prior injury, and Andy Diouf is being eased up to longer 80-minute appearances.
- Tactically Chivu stressed interpretation over fixed systems, saying he values how players read situations and is managing minutes to balance intensity across a congested schedule that included a short turnaround from the Napoli comeback to the Bernabéu.
- The coach also expressed a preference for fewer VAR interventions to preserve match rhythm and pointed to last season’s Serie A and Coppa Italia wins as evidence of the club’s ongoing progress.