As the only game in Europe’s traditional top-five leagues this evening, the eyes of the continent were on Udine, where a tepid start would likely have thrown even the most devout of football fans off the trail.
Although a 14-point cushion at the Serie A summit prior to the round means the title is all but wrapped up already for Inter, there was an extra layer of spice here as they knew victory would keep alive the dream of winning the title against city rivals Milan in just under two weeks time.
Perhaps no man would like to do that more than a man who crossed the divide, Hakan Calhanoglu, and the Turk came close to firing his side into the lead on the half-hour mark when his thunderous strike was repelled by Maduka Okoye.
That save looked even bigger 10 minutes later when the hosts took an unlikely lead in comical circumstances. Lazar Samardzic’s deflected cross looked to be harmlessly drifting into the box, but a breakdown in communication between Yann Sommer and Denzel Dumfries - both of whom left the ball - saw it trickle in the corner.
Inter thought they’d forged a way back into the game within minutes of the restart when Carlos Augusto turned home following a bout of penalty box pinball, but a VAR offside decision denied him a first-ever Serie A goal for Inter.
That was only a temporary reprieve for the hosts, who imploded shortly after when Okoye came out for a cross he was never likely to reach and clattered Marcus Thuram. The Udinese stopper had already made one solid save to deny Calhanoglu earlier, but he had no chance this time, as his spot-kick arrowed into the bottom corner.
It was Inter doing most of the running for a late winner, but Frattesi’s wayward effort from 12 yards was somewhat symptomatic of the struggles they were facing in the final third.
For all their huff and puff, the Nerazzurri never truly carved out what you could call a gilt-edged opportunity until the 95th minute, when Frattesi redeemed himself by popping up in the box to tap home after Lautaro Martínez’s initial effort was tipped onto the post - sparking jubilant scenes on the Inter bench and leaving Udinese heartbroken.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Hakan Calhanoglu (Inter Milan)
