Serie A leaders Inter had Yann Sommer to thank after the Switzerland international made a string of stunning stops to earn his team a 2-1 win over Udinese on Sunday. 

Sommer produced a brilliant save to deny Oumar Solet in a chaotic period in the closing stages that saw Inter boss Simone Inzaghi sent off for entering the field of play. 

The result sees the Nerazzurri extend their lead at the summit of the Italian top-flight to six points ahead of Napoli's clash with AC Milan later in the day.

Inter should have been ahead in the eighth minute when Davide Frattesi saw his effort saved by Maduka Okoye, before somehow striking the post from the rebound.

But Inzaghi's side did not have to wait long for the opening goal, with a fine free-flowing move seeing Marko Arnautovic sweep home Federico Dimarco's cutback. 

Dimarco was involved yet again for Inter's second of the game, with his cross met first time by Frattesi, who atoned for his earlier error with a brilliantly placed finish. 

But Udinese dragged themselves back into the match in the 71st minute when Solet's driving run from midfield ended with a fine strike that flashed past Sommer. 

From then on, Sommer was on hand to keep the visitors at bay, first denying Lorenzo Lucca's header before denying Solet late on, thwarting his effort at the near post. 

Data Debrief: Inter hit 20 league wins this season

Inter have now won at least 20 of their first 30 games in Serie A for two seasons in a row for the second time in their history (four between 2005-06 and 2008-09).

They have also won five games in a row in all competitions for the first time since between December 2024 and January 2025 (five), which was helped by their first-half showing by one of their flying full-backs. 

Indeed, with two assists in the opening 45 minutes, Dimarco (21, nine goals and 12 assists) is one of three defenders across Europe's top five leagues to have been involved in more than 20 goals in the last two seasons, after Bayer Leverkusen duo Alex Grimaldo (30) and Jeremie Frimpong (25).

Inter also fielded their oldest starting line-up in Serie A this season against Udinese, with the average age of the starting XI 31 years and 225 days.