Half-Time Report: Late Mauro Icardi goal gives Inter Milan the lead over Udinese at half time

Striker Mauro Icardi has put Inter Milan into a 1-0 half-time lead over Udinese in Serie A this evening, as Roberto Mancini's men look for three points at the San Siro that would see them leapfrog the visitors in the Italian top flight.

Udinese were the first side to carve out a real opportunity and they were far too wasteful, as Thomas Heurtaux headed over the bar from the centre of the box after he was picked out by Bruno Fernandes on the flank.

Inter's Fredy Guarin thought he'd opened the scoring around the 30-minute mark, but his rasping shot from outside of the box was saved down low by a sprawling Orestis Karnezis.

The visitors looked to soak up some Inter pressure and they almost made the perfect tactical move when Allan broke away at pace, but Antonio Di Natale was wasteful with his left as he fired high and wide.

Mancini's men took the lead right on the stroke of half time when Icardi was picked out by Guarin's inch-perfect through-ball, which allowed the striker to fire low into the bottom-left corner of goal.