With just a bit over two months remaining in the 2015/2016 Serie A campaign, all 20 teams in Italian football's top flight will be trying to naturally pick up as many points between now and May. For some teams, the coveted Scudetto title is their objective, for others, a Champions League or Europa League spot. Still, for quite a few, safety is the primary objective. As Udinese prepare to welcome Roma to the Stadio Friuli this Sunday, both teams will be battling it ought for all three points after experiencing disappointment in their respective fixtures.
Udinese
It was not too long ago that Udinese were holding their own against some of Italy's bigger sides and thanks to their impressive showings, were securing a spot in the Champions League or Europa League spots. However, this season has not been so kind to the Zebrette, and it is no coincidence that talismanic striker Antonio Di Natale's struggles with form and fitness have taken a huge toll on the side.
Stefano Colantuono's men will be coming into this fixture having suffered a shock 2-0 reversal to relegation candidates Frosinone, and unless if Udinese can turn things around, they could find themselves in that dreaded drop zone. With just one win out of their past five fixtures, the Bianconeri are just four points away from 18th place and will be hoping to nick a point - or possibly more - off their high-flying opponents in order to put some distance between themselves and the bottom three.
However, the odds do not look well in their favor. Udinese have lost their past five games against Roma across all competitions, and one would have to go back to October 28, 2012 to note the last time they were able to defeat the Lupi. If one is looking for their last home win against the Giallorossi, try going back even further - to November 25, 2011 - and the last time they were unable to avoid a loss was on March 9, 2013, when they held the capital club to a 1-1 draw.
And to make things even more problematic for Udinese, Conantuono will be facing some difficulties in defense, as both Molla Wague and Ivan Piris will be missing this game due to injury and suspension respectively. The Zebrette, then, will certainly be hoping that Roma will have exhausted themselves during their midweek European campaign as they hope to pull off what would be an impressive and shock upset tomorrow afternoon.
Roma
Given their excellent form as of late, many Roma fans surely must be wishing that their team had hit this kind of form earlier this season. Although they were made to pay for their profligacy - with Mohamed Salah being one of the main culprits - in their midweek Champions League tie against Real Madrid, the Giallorossi were not utterly humiliated in the way that Real Madrid fans had gleefully expected and will now need to re-focus on domestic affairs.
Having won their past seven Serie A matches, the Lupi are presently in third place and are in a good position to secure the last Champions League play-off spot if they keep it up. Of course, with Fiorentina and Inter both hoping to close the gap, Luciano Spalletti's squad cannot afford to have any slip-ups. As such, they will be seeking to make it eight wins in eight against an Udinese side that have been quite poor this season.
The visitors have scored at least three goals in their past four league games and given that Udinese have struggled to keep from shipping goals, viewers should expect some goals in this game. Moreover, the Zebrette have only won one out of their last 10 Serie A matches and as noted before, will be missing some key players in defense, further tipping this game in favor of Roma.
Spalletti, however, will be concerned about the fitness of first-choice midfield trio Radja Nainggolan, Daniele De Rossi and Miralem Pjanic as they are all struggling with fitness issues and may not be able to feature. Kevin Strootman, however, could make an appearance from the bench after finally recovering from his own injury nightmare, but defender Antonio Rudiger has not fully recuperated and will have to miss this match.
Which channel is broadcasting Udinese vs Roma on TV or Online?
Unfortunately, despite now playing in a newly refurbished Stadio Friuli (or the Dacia Arena as it is commonly known), Udinese still continue to struggle at home, but expect their loyal and passionate supporters to be behind the squad as they hope to beat Roma at home for the first time in nearly five years.
However if you are too far away to make it to the match, no worries. LiveSoccerTV.com has compiled plenty of choices to view the game via your TV, computer, phone, or tablet.
Here are some choices for fans residing in the following countries:
- In the USA at 10.00 EST on: beIN SPORTS CONNECT U.S.A., fuboTV, RAI International, beIN Sports USA
- In Italy at 15.00 CET on: SKY Go Italia, PremiumSport 2 HD, Sky Calcio 1
- In the UK at 14.00 GMT on: ESPN UK / HD
- In Canada at 10.00 ET on: RAI International, beIN SPORTS CONNECT Canada, beIN Sports Canada
Live elsewhere? Check out our special Udinese vs Roma broadcast page for viewing times and options for wherever you call home.
*Note: Live broadcast data is subject to change*
Match details, result and original broadcast info
This match has ended. Below are the original Live broadcast details for this match.
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
Follow the game on-the-go
Download our iOS and Android apps to follow soccer on-the-go. It comes packed with features - live scores, fixtures, results, tables, line-ups, stats, TV schedule and much more! Sorry, no live streaming within the app.
