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Spalletti knows Iachini well, having coached him during the early days of his management career when both men were at Venezia, and believes the Bianconeri will arrive in the Italian capital ready to make life difficult for the Giallorossi.
“They are good, they have a setup that makes their approach clear to everyone immediately,” Spalletti said. “They take young boys, starlets, and make them play – they have a lot of options in different roles and can change formation.
“They have strength, good stamina, and in that aspect of the battle it will be a tough game. We will have to fight, even though they no longer have [Antonio Di Natale], who has stopped. Without him they will definitely lose a little bit.
“I would add that, as I have said before, I know Iachini well and know what he can bring to the team. We will be ready for a strong opponent.”
Udinese have already lost one game this season, a notable defeat to Serie B side Spezia in the Italian Cup, but Spalletti is reading little into that.
“Let us not be fooled by their result against Spezia, where many friends told me how everything went right for them whereas for Udinese it all went wrong,” he said. “In some cases, bad luck can make a difference.”
The boss was also asked about the arrival of new signing Bruno Peres, with the coach seeming to acknowledge that the full-back's addition was another important piece of the puzzle.
"Bruno Peres has always played as the fourth of the defensive line and has that ability to drive forward," Spalletti noted. "He can play on the right or on the left.
"I trust this group of players. It is one of the strongest squads I've ever coached in my career - I have also had others, but this rates highly."
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