Another forgettable season for Udinese is coming to a close, as the team has spent the better half of 2025 in the dead centre of the table. But their final opponents – Fiorentina – have not yet lost faith, as European football is just three points away.
There was a short period in the early months of the year when Udinese looked like a team that could potentially be in the mix for the European places, but the seven defeats in the last ten rounds closed all doors for them. The easiest way to describe the Bianconeri is teethless. Their attack rarely shows up, failing to score in six of those recent 10 games.
Fiorentina, on the other hand, are dreaming of a return to the Conference League after getting eliminated from the semi-finals a few weeks ago. To do that, La Viola need to win at Udinese and pray that Lazio lose their final match. It is a big ask but a real possibility, and Fiorentina must do everything in their power to at least get the first part done.
How the bookies view it: La Viola to push until the end
Bookmakers expect La Viola to secure the last three points of the season, but still gave Udinese some room to breathe. You can pick the hosts at 11/4, the draw at 5/2, and Fiorentina at 1/1. The difference is big but could have been much bigger, given the stakes.
Recent head to head: Never an easy clash
While Fiorentina have had a far better season overall, Udinese actually won the reverse fixture in December, after a tight 2-1. And the overall record shows that this rivalry has always been extremely unpredictable. La Viola hold the advantage with five wins to four in the last 10 H2Hs, which also shows that these teams don't like dividing the points.
Players to watch: Kean finally showed his true potential
Moise Kean had a slow month, missing three matches and dropping bad performances in the three he played in. But his late winner against Bologna last week should bring the confidence back for a positive close to his otherwise best season. The 25-year-old Italian scored 24 goals across all competitions for Fiorentina, including 18 in Serie A. Plus, he scored La Viola's only goal in the reverse fixture.
Probable line-ups
Udinese: Okoye, Solet, Bijol, Kabasele, Kamara, Zarraga, Karlstrom, Atta, Ehizibue, Lucca, Davis
Fiorentina: Gea, Pongracic, Mari, Ranieri, Dodo, Fagioli, Richardson, Mandragora, Gosens, Gudmundsson, Kean
Anything else catch the eye?
Making predictions for this matchup is never easy but there are more than enough reasons to back Fiorentina with confidence this time. While they lost their last two Serie A away games, Udinese are winless in their last four at home. In fact, the Bianconeri scored one goal in those home games, even losing to last-placed Monza. La Viola will throw everything at Udinese in an attempt to get last-minute tickets back to the Conference League. It will not be easy, but Fiorentina won three of their last five visits to Stadio Friuli.
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