A run of defeats and a point at Parma
Udinese’s season has been defined by a lack of goals and a leaky back line. The site’s records show 5 points from 9 Serie A games, with one win, two draws and six defeats, a goal difference of 9 scored and 18 conceded, and 17th place in the table. The recent results tell the story: a 0-1 home loss to Cagliari on 19 September, a 1-2 defeat at Torino on 12 October, a 0-3 home loss to Lecce on 18 October and a 0-2 home defeat to Milan on 25 October.
The trip to Parma on 28 October finally brought a point. According to [1], Udinese had lost six consecutive matches before the 0-0 draw, and coach Kosta Runjaić was reported to be under severe pressure. The same report says Udinese created the bigger chances in a tense relegation fight. Adrián Bernabé missed a penalty for Parma, which Maduka Okoye saved. A clean sheet and a point are a modest return, but they ended a damaging spell and kept the gap to the sides below from widening.
Squad news: who is fit
The fitness picture is mixed. The most encouraging item is the return of Nicolò Zaniolo. [1] reports that he came back in the 2-0 defeat to Milan the week before and then started against Parma, so he is listed as fit.
The concerns sit elsewhere. After the Parma game, the same report said Alessandro Zanoli, Idrissa Guèye, Vakoun Bayo and Oumar Solet were all still struggling with fitness issues, and each is marked as doubtful. The report also lists David Alaba among those with fitness problems, though that item carries lower confidence in our verified facts and should be treated with caution.
If several of those players miss out, Runjaić would have to reshuffle again against one of the league’s strongest sides. Solet’s status matters most, because the defence has conceded 18 goals in nine games and another absence there would add to the pressure.
Roma’s visit and the forecast
Roma arrive in a very different position. [2] reports that Gasperini has named a 22-man squad for the Saturday trip, including five teenagers. Roma are unbeaten after nine Serie A matches.
They are not at full strength. Paulo Dybala, Manu Kone, Mile Svilar and Lorenzo Pellegrini are unavailable, and Pierluigi Gollini is expected to start in goal in place of Svilar. That is a notable change behind the defence, and a goalkeeper with fewer recent starts is one of the few areas where Udinese might look for an opening.
The site’s forecast still leans heavily towards the visitors: Roma to win at 70.0%, a draw at 18.0% and an Udinese win at 12.0%, with a predicted score of 0-2. That reads as a judgment on form and quality rather than a dismissal of Udinese. Their best recent display, at Parma, produced chances but no goals, and scoring has been the recurring problem.
What it means
Udinese are 17th with 5 points from 9 games, so every match against a team near them matters far more than this one on paper. A Roma side unbeaten after nine league games is the sort of opponent against whom a point would be a bonus, not an expectation, and the forecast of 0-2 reflects that.
The form figures explain why. Udinese have won once in nine, lost six, and scored only 9 goals, while conceding twice as many. The draw at Parma showed some resilience and a better attacking threat, with Zaniolo back on the pitch, but it was one result against a long losing run. Doubts over Zanoli, Guèye, Bayo and Solet make it harder to build on it.
The next fixture asks a direct question of Runjaić’s side: can they keep Roma, who are missing Dybala, Kone, Svilar and Pellegrini, quiet for long enough to stay in the game? A fourth consecutive game without a goal would deepen the pressure on the coach. Even a narrow defeat that shows the Parma performance was no one-off would leave Udinese better placed for the games that matter more.
