After suffering another European setback, Roma return to Serie A duty on Sunday, when they aim to and their long wait for an elusive away win against Udinese.
Partly due to some woeful results on the road, the Giallorossi sit just one point above their hosts in the standings.
Match preview
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After getting back on track in Serie A and reaching the Coppa Italia quarter-finals, by virtue of a six-game unbeaten streak, Roma may have expected to claim maximum points in the Europa League on Thursday.
However, all hopes of qualifying for the knockout rounds now rest on the final matchday, following a disappointing 1-0 defeat to AZ Alkmaar, who surpassed them in the table - adding to their despair, those rankings are still led by city rivals Lazio.
That setback brought stinging criticism from the Giallorossi's interim head coach Claudio Ranieri, and it leaves them clinging on to a playoff place by just one point.
Ahead of next week's league-phase finale, when they will host 2022 champions Eintracht Frankfurt, Ranieri's men must try to win successive league matches for only the second time this season.
Beating Genoa 3-1 took them up to ninth place last weekend, but any dreams of qualifying for Europe via a top-seven finish surely rest on fixing their dismal away form.
Roma have gone 13 Serie A games without a win on their travels for the first time this century; incidentally, their last away success in the Italian top flight was last April's 2-1 victory over Udinese.
Unbeaten in 10 of their last 12 trips to Udine, with eight wins during that period, the capital club will at least have history on their side this weekend.
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Overall, Sunday's hosts have lost seven of their last nine league meetings with Roma, including each of the last four - yet they could now leapfrog their southern counterparts in the table.
Udinese are safely tucked inside the top half, despite Monday's chastening 4-1 loss to Como, in which both teams had a player sent off at Stadio Sinigaglia.
Kosta Runjaic and co had headed for Lombardy on a four-match unbeaten streak, including a goalless draw with high-flying Atalanta BC, but they were ultimately dealt a first defeat of 2025.
Now occupying 10th place, the Fruliani have taken only three points from their last four outings, so it appears that their mini mid-season revival may have come to a halt.
While Runjaic has his squad on course to avoid a survival struggle - such as the one they narrowly scraped through last season - he will be keen to stop a minor downturn becoming a major slump.
Team News
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Blessed with a fully fit squad, Claudio Ranieri is sure to make changes, given events in Alkmaar on Thursday and his team's crucial clash with Eintracht Frankfurt next week.
Roma's regular front duo of Artem Dovbyk and Paulo Dybala could be retained, though. Dybala has been directly involved in 21 goals in as many Serie A appearances against Udinese - that represents the most on record by one player against a single club.
Fellow forward Stephan El Shaarawy is a candidate for promotion from the bench, having notched six against the Fruilani in Serie A. However, his last away league goal came back in May 2023.
Meanwhile, the hosts will be without Kingsley Ehizibue, Keinan Davis, Oier Zarraga and first-choice goalkeeper Maduka Okoye through injury; Lautaro Giannetti remains doubtful due to muscular fatigue.
Kosta Runjaic must also replace recent signing Oumar Solet, who serves a suspension for being dismissed on Monday. Either Isaak Toure or Christian Kabasele should deputise in Udinese's back three, which is led by Jaka Bijol.
The latter experienced a rare off-day in Como, receiving a yellow card and and scoring an own goal, but the Slovenian centre-back is one of the first names on the Bianconeri's teamsheet.
Udinese possible starting lineup:
Sava; Kristensen, Bijol, Toure; Modesto, Lovric, Karlstrom, Payero, Kamara; Thauvin, Lucca
Roma possible starting lineup:
Svilar; Mancini, Hummels, Ndicka; Saelemaekers, Kone, Paredes, Angelino; Pellegrini, Dybala; Dovbyk
We say: Udinese 1-1 Roma
Although Roma are showing signs of improvement - and Udinese have started to struggle - the Giallorossi are still fragile when leaving Rome.
Their long wait for a first away win will go on, with the hosts more than capable of frustrating their visitors from the capital.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Jonathan O'Shea
