Udinese host Lazio in a Serie A fixture on Sunday with both teams desperate for a win. Neither side have been at their best in recent weeks and with both defences looking vulnerable, goals can be expected here.
Udinese head into Sunday’s clash off the back of a 2-0 defeat to Fiorentina in their previous Serie A fixture. They proved to be no match for La Viola and were second best throughout, finishing with just a single attempt on target.
That result highlights Udinese’s erratic showings in recent weeks as they have claimed just three wins from their last eight matches. The big problem for Andrea Sottil’s men is a porous defence as they have kept just two clean sheets in that run.
A small positive for Udinese is that they have done some good work at home in recent weeks having lost just once in their last 11 matches at Dacia Arena. However, they have only claimed four wins in that run, with the other six matches ending in draws.
Lazio are coming off a 2-2 home draw with Lecce in their previous Serie A fixture. Ciro Immobile opened the scoring midway through the first half but they found themselves behind after the break before Sergei Milinkovic-Savic struck a dramatic injury time equaliser.
Things have been a bit difficult for Lazio in recent weeks as that result means they have only won once in their last five matches. They have dropped to fourth on the table with the likes of AC Milan and Roma breathing down their neck in the top four race.
One of the major problems for Lazio is a lack of discipline at the back as they have kept just one clean sheet in their last five matches. Maurizio Sarri’s men have also lost their last two away matches conceding five goals across both fixtures.
How the bookies view it
Lazio have the upper hand among the bookies and are priced at 21/20 by 10bet to claim the win. A victory for Udinese is valued at 14/5 by bet365 while a draw is set at odds of 5/2 by BoyleSports.
Head to head
Lazio have a 33-13 advantage with 16 draws from 51 previous matches with Udinese. However, the last four meetings have produced regulation time draws, including a 0-0 scoreline in the reverse fixture back in October.
Players to watch
Beto remains the leading scorer for Udinese with 10 Serie A goals and will be the one to watch on Sunday. The striker has also found the net in three of the last four fixtures at Dacia Arena and is priced at 12/5 by bet365 to maintain his scoring run.
Ciro Immobile was back among the goals last time out and could be worth keeping an eye on for Lazio. The striker now has 11 Serie A goals and is priced at 13/8 by William Hill to find the net on Sunday.
Anything else catch the eye?
Udinese and Lazio have struggled defensively lately and given the quality in their attacks, both teams could be backed to score at 4/6 with William Hill. The Capital club saw over 3.5 goals in their previous fixture and a repeat is priced at 27/10 by BetVictor while bet365 is offering evens for over 2.5 goals.
Both teams have been level at the break in their last three meetings and can be set for a repeat at 6/5 by bet365.
This Serie A match between Udinese and Lazio will be played on May 21, 2023 and kick off at 19:45. Check below for our tipsters best Udinese vs Lazio prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
