Udinese end their losing run as a weary Roma head to Friuli
Udinese’s goalless draw at Parma stopped six consecutive league defeats, but they remain in the bottom three after scoring just once in their last five league matches. Roma arrive second and unbeaten in Serie A, although Gian Piero Gasperini says fatigue is catching up with a squad missing several regulars.
Udinese badly needed the point they collected at Parma on Wednesday. Maduka Okoye saved Adrián Bernabé’s penalty in a match where Udinese created the clearer chances, but the goalless finish left them still searching for a way out of the relegation places. Roma offer a tougher test than Parma, yet the home side have at least stopped the slide.
Roma look capable of grinding out a narrow away win, with Udinese’s recent goal drought making another blank a real possibility.
Kosta Runjaić had Nicolò Zaniolo and Keinan Davis in his starting side at Parma. Idrissa Gueye and Vakoun Bayo were listed as injured in Udinese’s 17 October team-news briefing, and neither appeared in Wednesday’s squad. Roma were without Manu Koné, Paulo Dybala, Lorenzo Pellegrini and Mile Svilar against Cagliari; Leonardo Balerdi and Mario Hermoso were also not fit to play that night. Their availability for Saturday remains unresolved.
Roma have moved to 21 points from nine league matches and sit second, while Udinese have five points and remain in the bottom three. The hosts have scored nine goals and conceded 18; Roma have scored 23 and conceded eight. Udinese’s recent drought is stark, but Roma have conceded five times across their last two league matches, despite scoring seven.
Roma have generally had the better of this fixture, winning four of the previous five Serie A meetings. Udinese, however, won the most recent encounter in February, showing that the gap between the sides does not always dictate the result.
