Important Facts
- Udinese is tenth (29 points) and is hot on the heels of Bologna (1 point ahead); Roma are fourth (43) with a minimal buffer over Juventus and pressure from Napoli above them.
- The last five league matches have all gone to Roma (12:3 goals, no draws), mostly with noticeably more control; notably, all first halves remained under 1.5 goals.
- Udinese comes off a 3-1 win in Verona (Atta and Davis scored, Ekkelenkamp was influential), but remains defensively vulnerable with seven consecutive games conceding goals and a weak home record.
- Runjaić has to make changes: Lovrić is on loan to Verona, Kamara and Zanoli are missing on the wings; Miller gets more minutes, while Davis serves as a clear reference point up front.
- Roma have scored in each of their last five games and haven’t lost a second half during that run, but without Dybala, Dovbyk, and Koné, Soulé and Pellegrini will have to carry the offense.
- The market sees Roma as clear favorites at 1.95 (Udinese 4.2); Udinese’s run of conceding goals plus Roma’s consistent scoring statistically favor “Both teams to score: Yes” and “Over 2.5.”
Five competitive wins in a row against Udinese, their sights firmly set on the top four and yet with the Europa League breathing down their necks – that’s how Gian Piero Gasperini’s AS Roma travel to Udine. On Monday at 7:45 p.m., the Bluenergy Stadium (Stadio Friuli) will host Matchday 23, and Kosta Runjaić welcomes the favorites as tenth in the table with 29 points: one point behind Bologna and level on points with Sassuolo, a decent starting position after a mixed period. Runjaić has to rethink his midfield because Lovrić is on loan to Verona and Miller is getting more playing time. AS Roma are fourth with 43 points, three behind Napoli and one ahead of Juventus, and won the first leg 2-0 in November. Udinese are riding high after their 3-1 win in Verona (Atta and Davis scored), but have conceded at least one goal in seven consecutive games; Zanoli is also out. Roma, meanwhile, advanced to the last eight of the Europa League after a 1-1 draw at Panathinaikos, but Dybala, Dovbyk and Koné are still out.
- Venue: Bluenergy Stadium – Stadio Friuli, Udine
- Date and time: February 2, 2026, 8:45 p.m.
- Competition: Serie A (matchday 23)
On the other hand, Udinese’s run of seven games conceding goals suggests that there could be chances at both ends, especially as Davis, Atta, and Ekkelenkamp were influential in the 3-1 win in Verona. Accordingly, “Both teams to score: Yes” and “Over 2.5” fit the statistics for this fixture so far.
Udinese Calcio Form & Record Check
Udinese goes into matchday 23 in 10th place in the table with 29 points and a goal difference of minus 9, close enough to put pressure on Bologna, which is only one point ahead, while Sassuolo is level on points below them. In Serie A, the last five games have brought two wins, one draw, and two defeats, which is fitting for a team that can surprise at the top but rarely remains without wobbles, and Runjaić has kept them competitive overall, if not always stable. The 3-1 win at Verona was their best recent performance, with Atta standing out between the lines and Davis providing a clear reference point up front. At the same time, the 1-0 home defeat to Inter showed their limited reserves, the 2-2 draw with Pisa felt like points dropped because they lost control at crucial moments, and the 2-1 away win in Turin at least showed character. The defensive rhythm is particularly worrying: they have conceded goals in seven consecutive games, and Udinese often start too slowly, conceding a goal in the first half in four of their last five games. They have won only one of their last six home games at the Bluenergy Stadium, which is why the absences of Kamara and Zanoli are so painful. Lovrić is on loan at Verona, and Miller’s influence, with Zaniolo close to a return, could at least mitigate the loss.
Runjaić is likely to stick with his usual 3-4-2-1, with Okoye behind a back three of Solet, Kristensen, and Bertola.
With Zanoli out and Kamara still missing, the wing positions are likely to go to Ehizibue on the right and Zemura on the left, allowing Udinese to maintain width and transition threat. In midfield, Karlström should secure the center, with Miller the more mobile runner, a logical consequence of Piotrowski’s continued absence. In front of them, Ekkelenkamp and Atta are expected to play as a duo between the lines, supporting Davis as the lone striker. Zaniolo is close to returning but could still be out, while Buksa’s calf problem puts Bayo in the spotlight as the main alternative up front.
AS Roma Form & Record Check
Interestingly, AS Roma are fourth in Serie A with 43 points, three points behind Napoli and just one point ahead of Juventus, so there is little room for error. Gasperini has largely brought the team in line with its ambition of finishing in the top four, even if the position seems fragile, and the impression remains that Roma often control games better than they consistently finish them. Across all competitions, the last two weeks have been mixed but mostly solid: a 1-1 draw at Panathinaikos despite Mancini’s red card in the 15th minute, an incident in the Europa League that has no bearing on Serie A, and then a 1-1 draw against Milan, in which good phases lacked the decisive touch. Before that, there was a 2-0 win against Stuttgart and an authoritative 2-0 win at Torino, but the Coppa Italia exit against Torino, 3-2 at home, exposed sloppy penalty area defense. The patterns are clear: AS Roma has scored in each of its last five games and has not lost a second half in this phase, yet the starts have been rather sluggish, with all five first halves remaining below 2 goals. Every game has seen over 1.5 goals, but four have seen under 2.5. With Dybala, Dovbyk, Ferguson, Koné, and El Shaarawy all missing, Soulé and Pellegrini will have to provide the spark.
AS Roma are expected to stick with Gasperini’s trusted 3-5-2, with Svilar behind a physical back three of Ghilardi, Mancini, and Ndicka. The wings will be crucial, with Çelik and Angeliño expected to push wide to provide width, while Cristante secures the build-up. Pisilli and El Aynaoui look like the likely runners, and the strike duo of Soulé and Malen could switch sides to stretch the defense. This is only a predicted starting lineup, and injuries continue to take their toll: Koné is out with a thigh injury, and El Shaarawy, Dybala, Ferguson, and Dovbyk are also unavailable. This leaves Roma without a proven goalscorer and a natural second striker, meaning Soulé is likely to take on much of the creative responsibility. It should be noted that Malen and Vaz were not eligible to play in the Europa League until the knockout stages.
Udinese Calcio – AS Roma Head-to-head & statistics
AS Roma have won all five of their last five league games against Udinese, with Udinese failing to secure a single draw. The most recent match, in November 2025, ended 2-0 in Rome. Before that, there were two 2-1 wins in 2025 and 2024, as well as a 3-0 win in 2024 and a 3-1 win in 2023. In total, Roma scored 12 goals and Udinese scored 3 in these games, demonstrating their superiority both in terms of results and risk control. More than 1.5 goals were scored in each game, and in 4 out of 5 encounters, more than 2.5 goals were scored. Roma kept a clean sheet twice, while Udinese scored only three times in total and never more than once per game. It is also striking that all five first halves remained below 1.5 goals, with the clearer results usually coming after the break. In 4 of the 5 games, at least two goals were scored in the second half, and Udinese conceded a goal after the break every time, a streak of five games. This trend may play a role, even though schedules and availability are always changing.
