UDINESE

League position: 7th
Head coach: Luca Gotti
Top scorer: Roberto Pereyra (3)

RECENT FORM

Roma: W W W W L
Udinese: W D W W L

The Giallorossi tasted defeat for the first time under Mourinho last time out as they suffered a 3-2 loss at Hellas Verona.

That ended a run of six straight victories that made for the perfect start to life with the Portuguese at the helm and has seen Roma pick up four successive wins at the Olimpico so far.

As for the visitors, Udinese have also begun the season well and are just two points back from their hosts.

A 4-0 defeat at home to Napoli last time out, however, will have been somewhat of a wake-up call for Gotti's side, who have played just one of their four Serie A matches away from home this term.

Possible Udinese line-up

(3-5-2)

Silvestri; Nuytinck, Becao, Samir; Molina, Arslan, Pereyra, Walace, Stryger Larsen; Deulofeu, Pussetto

LAST MEETING

DANGER MAN
Gerard Deulofeu

Spain international Deulofeu arrived at the Dacia Arena with high expectations last season but struggled to re-adapt to life in the Italian top flight as Udinese fans might have hoped.

The former Barcelona and AC Milan forward managed just two goals in all competitions, while providing a measly two further assists.

It marked a poor return for someone of Deulofeu’s obvious quality and he has already matched his goal two strikes last season in just four Serie A matches so far in 2021-22.

Playing through the middle, Deulofeu finally looks to be finding his feet in black and white, and will certainly pose a threat for the Roma defence, whether from the bench - he scored as a substitute on Matchday 1 and 2 - or from the start.

MATCH STATS

Roma and Udinese have drawn only one of their last 24 Serie A meetings, sharing a 1-1 draw in March 2013.

The Giallorossi have won 18 of those 24 matches, with Udinese scoring only five wins in the process.

The last two Serie A meetings between these sides have resulted in 4-0 wins for Roma, who last kept three clean sheets in a row against Udinese in the competition back in 1986 (four).

Roma’s four Serie A home wins on the bounce have seen the team score 12 times and they could win five in a row for the first time since 2017, when they did so under Eusebio Di Francesco.

The hosts have scored two or more goals in each of their last six Serie A matches, their best run since bagging eight times in a row in August 2020.

PLAYER STATS

• Stephan El Shaarawy has scored five Serie A goals against Udinese. He’s only netted more than that against Chievo (seven).
  
• Meanwhile, Jordan Veretout has scored three times in this fixture in Italy’s top-flight, including a brace in the previous meeting, at the Olimpico last February.
  
• Lorenzo Pellegrini already has six goals to his name in all competitions, from just seven appearances. The Italy international has also provided two assists.
  
• Stryger Larsen scored the first of his five Serie A goals against Roma in September 2017.

WHAT THEY SAID

"The only [positive] is that some younger players who have yet to really adjust to Serie A have had a few more minutes to gain experience, then otherwise if you lose 4-0 at home you can't be happy. Roma? We knew we were heading into a run of tough games. In two days we have Roma and two days later Fiorentina again, we must find the strength to absorb quickly how we can improve and keep our heads held high."

- Udinese coach, Luca Gotti