Roma vs Udinese

Stadio Olimpico is the venue as top-four hopefuls Roma and mid-table Udinese go head-to-head in an exciting Serie A showdown.

Fatigue could be catching up with Roma players following a gut-wrenching 1-0 defeat at Feyenoord in midweek Europa League action, as witnessed by Paulo Dybala’s muscle injury in Rotterdam. Back to Serie A, where they’ve won their last two matches without conceding, ‘I Giallorossi’ have a golden opportunity to solidify their top-four pursuit after AC Milan and Inter Milan dropped points yesterday. Udinese’s visit to the Stadio Olimpico could be just what the doctor ordered for Jose Mourinho’s men, considering they’ve emerged victorious in eight of their last nine top-flight H2Hs as hosts (L1). But the continuation of that run will likely hinge on Roma’s defensive resilience as they’ve gone winless in the last nine league matches in which they’ve failed to keep a clean sheet (D4, L5).

In the meantime, visiting Udinese fought back late to hold Monza to a dramatic 2-2 home draw last weekend, cementing their mid-table status. After winning back-to-back league games in mid-March, the visitors have gone winless in their last two outings (D1, L1), practically ending their hopes of orchestrating a late European pursuit, with sixth-placed Atalanta now nine points away. Andrea Sottil’s men have not fared well on the road, picking up just two wins on their last 11 Serie A travels (D4, L5), and it’s likely to continue this weekend. Indeed, the Friulians have lost three consecutive top-flight meetings against sides starting the matchday in the top three, last losing more such match-ups in a row under the same manager in 2016.