Hello and welcome to Sports Mole’s live coverage of the Coppa Italia last-16 clash between Udinese and Inter Milan. It promises to a very intriguing contest between the Serie A rivals and you can follow all the action live as it unfolds on this page.

Both sides have suffered defeats in their respective opening matches in 2014. While Inter went down 1-0 at Lazio, Udinese were stunned 3-1 by Hellas Verona at home in Serie A.

Similarly, Udinese and Inter have both struggled in the league this season. While Walter Mazzarri’s side are currently eight points off the Champions League places in sixth, Udinese are way down 13th – six points above the relegation zone.

The teamsheet is out and I will type the players’ names shortly. But I can tell you now for certain that Diego Milito will start for Inter tonight.

UDINESE XI: Kelava; Heurtaux, Danilo, Domizzi; Allan, Badu, Widmer, Gabriel Silva, Pinzi; Maicosuel, Nico Lopez

INTER MILAN XI: Carrizo; Campagnaro, Samuel, Andreolli; Zanetti, Guarin, Mudingayi, Kuzmanovic, Nagatomo; Kovacic; Milito

UDINESE SUBS: Scuffet, Naldo, Bubnjic, Basta, Di Natale, Milnar, Jadson, Douglas, Lazzari, Fernandes, Pereyra, Zielinski

INTER MILAN SUBS: Handanovic, Castellazzi, Jonathan, Juan Jesus, Palacio, Alvarez, Cambiasso, Botta, Ranocchia, Ronaldo

So the big news ahead of tonight’s encounter in Udine is that Diego Milito will start for Inter. This will be the Argentine striker’s first start for the Nerazzurri since he injured his knee on January 14, 2013.

Milito will be supported from attacking midfield by Mateo Kovacic, with Javier Zanetti, Walter Samuel and Zdravko Kuzmanovic also included in Walter Mazzarri’s first XI.

Meanwhile, Udinese will have Maicosuel and Nico Lopez in attack, while Antonio Di Natale, who has announced that he will retire at the end of the season, is on the bench for the Bianconeri.

The match will kickoff is just around 10 minutes and the anticipation is building. This is one-off clash, that is, there will be no second leg and no replay. If it ends all square between Udinese and Inter, then the match will head into extra time and beyond.

The players are about to come out onto the pitch for the last-16 clash. This should be a very interesting and entertaining fixture, indeed.

The two sets of players are now out on the pitch as pre-match formalities are taking place.

KICKOFF Udinese get the match underway, this the last-16 clash in the Coppa Italia.

It’s been a slow but active start to the contest at the Stadio Friuli in Udine. Both sides are showing their intent to go forward, but neither are having too much luck in stringing passes together.

CHANCE! The first shot of the match is taken by Nicolas Lopez with his left foot from outside the Inter box, but it poses to no danger to Juan Pablo Carrizo in the visiting goal.

CHANCE! Udinese go so so close to opening the scoring as a cross is floated in from the byline, but Lopz just cannot meet it with his head at the far post.

CHANCE! Gabriel Silva collects the ball on the left and then curls in a brilliant cross that Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu heads on goal, only for Juan Pablo Carrizo to make the save.

CHANCE! Udinese are attacking the Inter flanks, this time Maicosuel gets past his marker on the left and then drills in a cross across the face of goal that evades everyone.

Udinese are pressing on now and pushing Inter deep inside their own half. The home side are trying to utilise the flanks and putting the visiting defenders under all kinds of pressure.

Inter are now on the attack and appear to have settled themselves. First they earn a free kick and from that set piece they get themselves a corner. However, that yields nothing and although Marco Andreolli slams the ball inside the Udinese net, the whistle had already blown for a foul committed by Walter Samuel.

Udinese are back to the pressing game and are looking the more likely side to open the scoring this evening. Diego Milito is looking lost on his own upfront for Inter.

YELLOW CARD Mateo Kovacic is shown the first yellow card of the contest for his challenge on Thomas Heurtaux. To be honest, it was on the horizon as they have been a number of fouls committed by both sides so far.

We have played through the first half of the first half and it is goalless between Udinese and Inter Milan. The Bianconeri have been the better side so far, but Inter have shown one or two signs that they can be dangerous when they go on the attack.

Another cross inside the Inter box and this time Samuel clears it away. Inter coach Walter Mazzarri will not be pleased to see the home side able to whip in so many crosses into his side’s area. It is only a matter of time before someone turns a cross in.

CHANCE! Brilliant floating free kick from Maicosuel with his right foot that was curling towards the back post and needed just a touch from one of his Udinese teammates for a 1-0 lead.

Half an hour gone in Udine and the score still remains 0-0 between Udinese and Inter Milan in their Coppa Italia last-16 clash.

Udinese’s pressure eventually pays off as they take the lead in brilliant fashion. Lopez is released down the right flank and he drills in a low cross that is turned in at the far post by Maicosuel, with his marker Javier Zanetti sliding on the ground.

The lead is nothing more than what Udinese deserve from their brilliant attacking venture so far and are rightfully ahead. Perhaps this will allow Inter to open up and show more attacking intent. I don’t think that the Nerazzurri have had a single shot on target so far this evening.

CHANCE! Zdravko Kuzmanovic goes agonisingly close for Inter as his curling effort from distance strikes the frame of the Udinese goal. It falls to Gaby Mudingayi, whose shot is then deflected wide for a corner, which yields nothing in the end.

Udinese launch a counter-attack in search of their second goal of the match, but the Inter defenders are alert to the danger and clear the ball away just in time.

Corner for Udinese with just over five minutes of the first half remaining. Can they make it 2-0?

No, they cannot as Inter clear Udinese’s short corner away.

CHANCE! Nico Lopez takes a free kick around 35 yards from goal. He drills it on target with his left foot and straight into the hands of Carrizo.

The match has opened up and Inter are venturing forward more often after conceding the goal. This is a one-match affair, so they will need to score to take the game into extra time and beyond. At the moment, the signs are that Udinese will progress to the quarter-finals of the Coppa Italia.

One minute of injury time has been given.

It’s half time at the Stadio Friuli in Udine where Udinese are leading Inter Milan 1-0 in their Coppa Italia last-16 clash, thanks to Maicosuel’s goal on 32 minutes.

And deservedly so. The Bianconeri have been the better of the two sides and have also showed an willingness to attack and to win, unlike their opponents, who have been happy to just sit back and soak the pressure for large periods of the contest.

Inter did come into life after conceding the goal just past the half-hour mark and they need to at least maintain their level in the second half. However, Mazzarri’s side will need to improve and bring Milito into play after the restart to create more pressure on the home team.

Fredy Guarin looked quite quiet in the first half and so did Mateo Kovacic, and both of them need to step up their game in the second period. This is not all lost cause for Inter as they are only 1-0 behind and can still rescue themselves.

The second half will begin shortly and Mazzarri could make a change before it gets underway. I suspect that Rodrigo Palacio could be introduced.

The two sets of players are now coming out onto the pitch as the second half will kick off in a matter of minutes.

SUBSTITUTION As I suspected, Rodrigo Palacio has come on for Gaby Mudingayi for Inter Milan.

KICKOFF Inter Milan get the second half underway. The visitors are trailing 1-0 from the first half.

Inter are looking livelier in the opening minutes of the second period and are trying to deploy a more patient and passing football. It is working at the moment as they are able to force the Bianconeri inside their own half.

CHANCE! Kuzmanovic gets a shot away from the edge of the Udinese box and it is on target, but safely into the hands of Ivan Kelava.

CHANCE! Udinese go close to making it 2-0 just moments after Inter have a penalty appeal turned down! The ball is released to Maicosuel inside the Inter half and he gets the better of Carrizo, who comes way out of his line but in vain, but then the scorer cuts the ball back to Giampiero Pinzi, whose volley from the edge of the area is wide of the mark.

YELLOW CARD Carrizo is shown the yellow card for complaining that Inter should have been awarded a penalty.

YELLOW CARD Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu goes into the referee’s books for his tackle on Fredy Guarin.

CHANCE! Badu is released down the right and he takes a shot on goal with his right foot, but his effort is way off-target.

SUBSTITUTION Inter make their second change of the evening. Ricky Alvarez comes on for Javier Zanetti.

YELLOW CARD Allan becomes the second Udinese player to be shown the yellow card for a bad tackle. This match has seen more fouls that it should have.

Box-to-box action now as first Kovacic decides to shoot but cannot get it past the first Udinese defender, before Carrizo almost gifts the hosts their second goal of the evening with a howler.

YELLOW CARD Danilo is shown the yellow card for bringing down Kovacic on the edge of the Udinese penalty box. Free kick to Inter from a very good position...

Guarin takes the free kick, but it takes a deflection and goes out of play. It took a touch of an Inter player and a goal kick is given.

Inter are going out all attack now and they need to. Palacio, Alvarez and Guarin all are showing touches that are promising, but they need to be more coherent in their movements.

Twenty minutes remain in this match and it is still 1-0 to Udinese. But Inter are not out of the contest.

CHANCE! Badu goes close again with a shot from just outside the Inter penalty box, but it is off-target. He has been the bright spark in the Bianconeri attack in the second half.

YELLOW CARD Giampiero Pinzi is booked by the referee for a dangerously high challenge on Hugo Campagnaro.

Gabriel Silva is greedy and goes for goal from out wide on the left when he should have cut inside and tried to pass it to one of his teammates who were in better positions than him.

CHANCE! Ricky Alvarez tries to curl a shot home from the left side of the Udinese box, but his effort is high and wide.

SUBSTITUTION Udinese make a change now. Nico Lopz comes off and on comes Roberto Pereyra.

CHANCE! Very important catch from Ivan Kelava, who collects the ball just in the nick of time. An Inter corner is floated in and Walter Samuel nods it towards goal looking for Diego Milito, but the Udinese keeper intervenes.

Inter have succeeded in unsettling the Udinese defence, who are looking edgy at the back.

SUBSTITUTION Inter Milan coach Walter Mazzarri decides to make another change in an effort to alter the outcome of the match. Ruben Botta comes on for Mateo Kovacic, who has endured yet another disappointing match.

YELLOW CARD Now Palacio is booked for a challenge on Allan Loureiro.

Five minutes of normal time for Inter to score the equaliser and force the match into extra time.

Inter are pressing on for the equaliser and have loads of bodies inside the Udinese half of the pitch. But so do have the home side.

CHANCE! Guarin squanders away a great chance to make it 1-1 as he shoots just wide after collecting a ball from Milito inside the Udinese box.

SUBSTITUTION Udinese goalscorer Maicosuel is taken off and on comes Miguel Fernandes.

CHANCE! Now Yuto Nagatomo tries to become the hero for Inter as he tries to shoot into the far corner from the edge of the box, but fails to get his effort on target.

Four minutes of injury time have been given. Four minutes for Inter to find an equaliser. Four minutes for Udinese to hold on for a place in the quarter-finals of the Coppa Italia.

CHANCE!Badu tries to wrap up the win with a bang as he fires a shot from distance, but once again he fails to find the target.

It’s all over at the Stadio Friuli in Udine where Udinese have defeated Inter Milan 1-0 to progress to the quarter-finals of the Coppa Italia. Maicosuel’s goal in the 32nd minute proved to be the difference between the two sides in their last-16 clash.

Thank you very much for joining me here on Sports Mole this evening for the match and hope that you enjoyed our live coverage. Have a good night, it’s goodbye from me for now.