Sports Mole previews Sunday’s Serie A clash between Roma and Udinese, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Trying to keep pace with Serie A‘s Scudetto contenders, Roma will welcome Udinese to Stadio Olimpico on Sunday evening.
The Giallorossi bounced back from last week’s loss to AC Milan by beating Rangers in midweek, while the Bianconeri are fresh from ending Atalanta’s long unbeaten streak.
Match preview
Sitting on the shoulder of reigning champions Napoli near the top of Serie A, Roma have won seven of their 10 league games under new coach Gian Piero Gasperini and could be considered part of the title race.
However, after making their best start to a top-flight campaign for eight years, the capital club succumbed to a rare away defeat last week, losing 1-0 in Milan.
Seeking to post six Serie A away wins on the spin, Roma came up just short at San Siro, as Paulo Dybala missed a penalty for the first time in four years, following 18 successful attempts.
Despite averaging just one goal per game – their lowest tally at this stage of any season in the 21st century – the Giallorossi are still in good shape on the domestic front, while their European ambitions received a timely boost in midweek.
Gasperini celebrated his 900th match in management with a 2-0 win over Rangers in Glasgow, as Lorenzo Pellegrini set up Matias Soule for the opener before finishing off a fluid move for the second.
Still shy of the Europa League’s top eight, Roma have much work to do if they want to replicate Gasp’s feats with Atalanta, who he led to glory in 2024.
More immediately, they must face down a solid Udinese side who have lost just three games this season.
Ahead of their latest trip to the capital, Udinese fans will be troubled by precedent, as the Bianconeri have lost 14 of their last 16 league games against Roma at Stadio Olimpico.
Home and away, they have been beaten five times straight by Sunday’s opponents, conceding at least twice in the process – and the clubs’ recent defensive records do not match up.
While Roma have conceded just five times, Udinese have shipped 15 goals in Serie A this season, yet that has not stopped them from pushing into the top half.
The Friulani also made a sharp start this time last year, before rapidly falling away, so head coach Kosta Runjaic will be keen to sustain the pace until May.
Last week, his team toppled La Dea, with well-travelled striker Nicolo Zaniolo taking great joy in scoring the winner against one of his old clubs.
After downing Atalanta, the injury-hit star now returns to the place where he kicked off a wandering career – albeit a warm welcome will not be laid on in Rome.
Roma Serie A form:
W W L W W L
Roma form (all competitions):
L L W W L W
Udinese Serie A form:
L D D W L W
Team News
While Roma’s injured striker Evan Ferguson has been called up by the Republic of Ireland, in-form Soule has not been picked by Argentina, so the latter may have a point to prove this weekend.
Some rotation should be expected following Thursday’s trip to Scotland, but Gasperini – just named Serie A Coach of the Month for October – is set to persist with misfiring striker Artem Dovbyk, who scored in both games against Udinese last season.
With Ferguson and Dybala sidelined, other attacking options are thin on the ground; meanwhile, Leon Bailey and Spanish wing-back Angelino are also unavailable.
As Keinan Davis is a doubt, Adam Buksa and Vakoun Bayo will vie to lead Udinese’s front line, alongside Zaniolo.
The latter made his first 94 league appearances for Roma – scoring 13 goals between 2018 and 2023 – but subsequent meetings with the Giallorossi have been mixed: he scored a wildly celebrated goal for Atalanta but was sent off with Fiorentina.
If Davis can recover, then Runjaic will only be without Lennon Miller and Danish defender Thomas Kristensen, who has yet to return from a thigh problem.
Roma possible starting lineup:
Svilar; Hermoso, Mancini, Ndicka; Celik, Kone, Cristante, Wesley; Soule, Pellegrini; Dovbyk
Udinese possible starting lineup:
Okoye; Goglichidze, Kabasele, Solet; Zanoli, Ekkelenkamp, Karlstrom, Atta, Kamara; Zaniolo, Buksa
We say: Roma 1-0 Udinese
In Serie A, Roma have mainly dropped points against the top sides, consistently beating teams in mid-table or around the drop zone.
While Udinese should provide a stern test, the Giallorossi can grind out one more narrow win before the international break.
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