Still seeking their first Serie A win of the season, Udinese host Fiorentina at the Dacia Arena on Sunday afternoon.
While the hosts have not tasted victory since a Coppa Italia success in early August, their Tuscan counterparts continue to show characteristic inconsistency, with two wins, two draws and one defeat in all competitions.
Match preview
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After making a number of changes to the side that started last week's league win over Atalanta, Fiorentina coach Vincenzo Italiano watched on as his team twice led in Thursday's Europa Conference League opener against Genk but still failed to take home maximum points.
The Viola had fought back from behind to topple La Dea 3-2 at Stadio Franchi, with Christian Kouame scoring the decisive goal, but they were given a taste of their own medicine in Belgium, where an unlikely Luca Ranieri brace was ultimately only good enough for a 2-2 draw.
In fact, they survived a late scare when Genk struck the inside of the post with one of the final kicks of the game, and it was an unconvincing performance from one of the competition favourites.
Nonetheless, there are five fixtures remaining in Fiorentina's Group F campaign, and the ultimate aim of going one step further than last term's final defeat to West Ham United remains very much on the agenda.
Should they now return to domestic duty with a win, moving onto 10 points as a result, they would post their best tally after five games since 2015.
Italiano, who celebrated with great passion - and at some length - after his team's spirited comeback last weekend, may have steered his side to a 2-0 win in their most recent meeting with Udinese, but Fiorentina have lost three of their last five league matches against the Fruilani; the same number of defeats suffered in the previous 18, of which they won 11.
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While Udinese have drawn each of their last three league matches - against Salernitana and promoted pair Cagliari and Frosinone - each of their last six Serie A meetings with Fiorentina have produced a definitive outcome one way or the other.
There have been three wins apiece since a goalless draw back in March 2020, and the Bianconeri will now hope home advantage can help them take advantage of the Viola's tired legs following a midweek jaunt across the border to Belgium.
Since the start of the 2021-22 campaign, Udinese have drawn more matches than any other club across Europe's top five leagues, doing so in 30 of their 80 outings during that time, and their stalemate down in Cagliari last week was one of the most frustrating.
Having found the net just once so far this term, following star striker Beto's summer window switch to Everton, the Fruili club have also failed to score in all of their last four home games in Serie A.
Therefore, the task of coach Andrea Sottil - who meets his son, Fiorentina winger Riccardo Sottil, this weekend - is quite clear: finding more routes to goal despite relatively meagre resources.
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Team News
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Among others, Vincenzo Italiano brought Luca Ranieri, goalkeeper Oliver Christensen and captain Cristiano Biraghi into his starting XI for the game against Genk, and the Fiorentina coach is likely to rotate his squad again - particularly with a midweek trip to Frosinone next on a packed schedule.
Lucas Beltran may therefore make way up front, allowing M'Bala Nzola to return; the latter scored a brace for Spezia on his most recent visit to Udine, in February of this year.
While Italiano can call upon summer signing Maxime Lopez for the first time in Serie A, after the French midfielder completed a two-match ban for being sent off in his final game with Sassuolo, a place on the bench may await.
Yerry Mina returned with an injury from international duty earlier this month, and the centre-back joins long-term absentee Gaetano Castrovilli on the sidelines once again; Nicolas Gonzalez may also miss out.
The hosts, meanwhile, have both Kingsley Ehizibue and Enzo Ebosse out of action for the foreseeable future, while ex-Watford trio Adam Masina, Gerard Deulofeu and Christian Kabasele also remain unavailable.
As recent arrivals Lorenzo Lucca, Keinan Davis and Brenner take time to settle in at the Dacia Arena - the latter pair are currently consigned to the treatment room - no less than eight different players have scored Udinese's last eight league goals: Lazar Samardzic's strike against Salernitana remains the club's only Serie A goal this season.
Largely due to a lack of alternatives, misfiring forwards Lucca and Florian Thauvin are likely to partner each other once again, with Andrea Sottil sticking to his favoured 3-5-2 formation.
Udinese possible starting lineup:
Silvestri; Perez, Bijol, Kristensen; Ebosele, Samardzic, Walace, Lovric, Kamara; Thauvin, Lucca
Fiorentina possible starting lineup:
Terracciano; Dodo, Milenkovic, Ranieri, Biraghi; Arthur, Mandragora; Kouame, Bonaventura, Brekalo; Nzola
We say: Udinese 1-1 Fiorentina
Despite lacking bite up front, Udinese rarely concede more than one goal and are generally tough to beat on home soil. As Fiorentina's ever-changing cast will be rotated again, a disjointed performance may see them restricted to a single point from their trip north to Udine.
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Top tip
Jonathan O'Shea
