Udinese goalkeeper Maduka Okoye has admitted that Inter Milan’s quality proved too much for his side after they suffered a 5-3 defeat at the San Siro in Monday’s Serie A encounter. 

Udinese stunned the home supporters with a fast start, racing into a two-goal lead within the opening 15 minutes through James Abankwah and Jurgen Ekkelenkamp.

Inter, however, quickly recovered as Carlos Augusto and Niccolò Barella struck within a 10-minute spell to restore parity before Marcus Thuram completed the turnaround three minutes before the hour mark.

Francesco Pio Esposito and Ange-Yoan Bonny subsequently increased Inter’s advantage to 5-2, while Idrissa Gueye scored a late consolation for Udinese in stoppage time.

Reflecting on the encounter, Okoye acknowledged the difficulty of playing against Inter at the San Siro, particularly against a team that maintains its attacking intensity regardless of the scoreline.

“It’s always difficult against Inter at San Siro. They play very attacking football and don’t stop even after scoring three or four goals. We also had our chances, but they are too strong,” Okoye told Udinese’s official website. 

The Nigeria international had admitted before the match that Inter possessed considerable attacking quality but insisted Udinese had prepared adequately for the challenge.

“There’s no easy way to stop Inter; they have so much quality, but we’ve prepared. It’s always special to play at San Siro; we’re here to get a result,” he said. 

Okoye also credited Udinese head coach Kosta Runjaić, the technical staff and his fellow goalkeepers for helping him develop since his move to the Italian club from Watford in 2023.

“Since I’ve been at Udine, I’ve gained experience; Coach Runjaic, the staff, and the other goalkeepers have helped me. I’m happy to have made progress, but I still want to improve,” the 27-year-old said. 

The goalkeeper enjoyed a strong 2025/26 campaign, keeping 10 clean sheets in 30 Serie A appearances as Udinese finished 10th in the Italian top flight.

His performances reportedly attracted interest from Inter during the summer transfer window, although the Nigeria international ultimately remained with Udinese.

The latest defeat leaves Udinese with four points, with Okoye and his teammates now preparing for their next Serie A fixture against Cagliari at the Bluenergy Stadium on Saturday.