Competition: Italian Serie A
Date: 15 January 2017
Kick-off Time: 14:00 GMT
Venue: Dacia Arena, Udine


Roma travel to Udine Sunday afternoon aiming to keep pace at the top, whilst the hosts look to get back on track.

Udinese are a strange club to call this season, their results tending to come in batches. Beginning the season with two defeats, two wins were followed by four losses in five, and then two victories, two draws and two defeats. Another three wins made way for a point in the last two outings, so Bianconeri fans will be hoping for a buck in the trend.

The Friuliani will still be smarting from last weekend’s defeat to Inter, having had numerous opportunities to put the game to bed before Ivan Perisic’s brace. Luigi Del Neri will have to make do without Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu and Molla Wague, both at the Africa Cup of Nations. Young Brazilian full-back Samir is likely to continue to deputise and has impressed with his positivity and contribution at both ends of the pitch, whilst on the other flank Silvan Widmer continues to surprise with his attacking prowess, his four assists a league high for a defender.

Another key component of any potential success will be striker Cyril Thereau, the Frenchman having bagged an impressive eight goals in 16 appearances so far, and has history of upsetting the Romans, grabbing the winner in Friuli four years ago.

Roma, meanwhile, travel north with a squad depleted through suspension, injury and international duty. Alessandro Florenzi remains sidelined, Daniele De Rossi and Antonio Rudiger serve one-match bans and Mohamed Salah is with Egypt at the Africa Cup of Nations.

The onus will be on squad players Leandro Paredes and Stephan El Shaarawy to step in to the breach and stake a claim for their own place. El Shaarawy in particular has a point to prove, having started just once in Serie A since October. Also expected to return to the side is transfer target Kostas Manolas, the Greek defender seemingly on the shortlist of every Premier League club going. Having returned from a thigh injury, Manolas will be looking to impress any visiting scouts.

Capocannoniere contender Edin Dzeko is another man looking to impress after a recent dip in form, the Bosnian target man having notched just once in his previous six outings in all competitions. Bruno Peres, on the other hand, is looking more and more at home in the capital, a shift to a back three with wing-backs in recent games allowing the summer signing from Torino to really express himself. With reinforcements proving elusive thus far, Luciano Spalletti will be hoping his thread-bare squad can continue to handle the demands of a title push on three fronts.


Roma currently have the upper hand over Udinese with eight wins in the last 11 meetings, including seven in a row.

Keep an eye on: Edin Dzeko (Roma) – Scored two in his last two appearances against Udinese and will be looking to end a relatively poor run of just one goal in six games.

Form Guide: Udinese (L D W W W) Roma (W W L W W)


Last season: Udinese 1-2 Roma

Stat fact: Udinese haven’t beaten the Giallorossi in Friuli since a 2-0 result in November 2011, managing just a draw and three consecutive defeats.

Top tip: Roma win, but both teams to score

Udinese (probable): Karnezis; Widmer, Danilo, Felipe, Samir; Fofana, Kums, Jankto; De Paul, Duvan Zapata, Thereau

Suspended: None

Roma (probable): Szczesny; Manolas, Fazio, Juan Jesus; Peres, Strootman, Paredes, Emerson; Nainggolan; Dzeko, El Shaarawy

Suspended: Rudiger, De Rossi

Prediction: Roma Win