Chivu Urges Inter Players To Be Ready For Tough Matches Following Udinese Defeat

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Inter Milan faced a challenging match against Udinese, resulting in their first defeat of the 2025-26 Serie A season. Cristian Chivu, Inter's coach, encouraged his players to adapt their style and be ready for tough play. Despite Denzel Dumfries scoring early, Udinese equalised through Keinan Davis' penalty. Arthur Atta then secured the win for Udinese before halftime.

Inter had several chances to level the score but were thwarted by VAR and solid defending. Federico Dimarco's goal was disallowed for offside, and Carlos Augusto's header was blocked on the line. Inter's expected goals (xG) was 1.89 from 16 shots, while Udinese had an xG of 1.19 from 10 attempts.

Chivu acknowledged that Inter showed more determination after halftime but lacked sharpness as the game progressed. He emphasised the need for his team to balance playing attractive football with being ready for physical challenges when necessary. "You must try to play beautiful football, but also be ready to play dirty when necessary," Chivu stated.

The loss marked Inter's earliest defeat in a top-flight season since 2018-19 and ended Udinese's long wait for an away victory against them since December 2017. Chivu noted that his team remains a work in progress and stressed the importance of finding balance and focus as they prepare for upcoming matches.

Inter have struggled at home recently, winning only two of their last five Serie A games at San Siro after previously securing six consecutive victories there. This result was not ideal before the international break, with crucial fixtures against Juventus and Ajax looming.

Chivu hopes the break will allow players to return refreshed and determined. "We won't have many players left in Milan during the break, but I hope that this time off will let them return with more determination and fire," he said.

Looking Forward

Inter must address their issues quickly as they face Juventus at Allianz Stadium on September 13, followed by their Champions League opener against Ajax four days later. Chivu urged his team to improve their movement and create more opportunities by finding vertical passes to unlock defences like Udinese's.

Reflecting on the match, Chivu admitted that Inter lost focus after conceding a penalty early on and struggled with fluidity in their build-up play. He remains optimistic about the team's potential but acknowledges there's much work ahead this season.