Sept 18 (Reuters) – Udinese top the Serie A standings after goals from Jaka Bijol and Tolgay Arslan sealed a 3-1 home win over Inter Milan on Sunday, their fifth successive league victory.
Italy midfielder Nicolo Barella curled a superb free kick past goalkeeper Marco Silvestri and into the top corner in the fifth minute to give Inter an early lead.
The hosts, however, levelled in the 22nd minute thanks to an own goal from Milan Skriniar after Beto’s header from a Roberto Pereyra free kick bounced off the Inter defender and caught goalkeeper Samir Handanovic by surprise.
Udinese’s Tolgay Arslan (R) scores the 3-1 lead during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Udinese Calcio and Inter Milan in Udine, Italy, 18 September 2022. EPA-EFE/GABRIELE MENIS
Handanovic denied Udinese several times in the second period as Inter struggled to keep the hosts outside of their own half but their resolve was eventually broken in the 84th minute when Bijol scored from a Gerard Deulofeu corner.
Substitute Arslan made sure of the points in the third minute of stoppage time with a header from a Deulofeu cross.
Inter, sixth in the standings, host AS Roma on Oct. 1 after the international break while Udinese travel to Hellas Verona on Oct. 3.
(Reporting by Silvia Recchimuzzi in Gdansk Editing by Christian Radnedge)
