Serie A: Will Roma’s Gamble Pay Off Against Udinese?

AS Roma vs Udinese

It has been a tumultuous campaign at one end of the capital so far. Roma, one of the most prestigious clubs in Serie A, are sitting 16^th in the table with three draws and one loss.

This led to the team firing Daniele De Rossi, their manager and one of the most respected players to ever grace Stadio Olimpico.

As a player, De Rossi was a leader of men—an imposing figure in midfield, able to do it all and is considered one of the greatest midfielders in Italian football. He also spent the majority of his playing years donning the Giallorossi kit.

Still, being a manager is a different job altogether, and the Roma higher-ups booted an icon after unsatisfactory results to start the year.

And whilst Roma are in the midst of a crisis, their upcoming opponents, on the other hand, are living the life.

Udinese have opened their accounts on a flier, momentarily rising to the top of Serie A after their close win against Parma.

The incredible feat meant that I Friulani led the league for the first time in 13 years. And if they could spoil Ivan Juric’s debut as Roma manager, then another stint atop the league beckons.

 

Talking Points

Roma’s goalscoring woes must be addressed immediately

Two goals in four games. That’s the current state of football played in Roma’s side of Stadio Olimpico.

I Giallorossi played out a goalless draw against Cagliari in their season opener. Despite having more of the ball and 15 shots, Roma failed to break through. A 2-1 defeat was to follow, this time against Empoli.

Roma had 27 shots and held 73 per cent of possession, but failed to salvage a point after conceding twice midway through the match. They took another point, this time against Juventus—who were fresh from back-to-back 3-0 wins—holding on just enough to salvage another 0-0 result.

Just when the Roma faithful thought that a first win was on the cards against Genoa, Koni De Winter made sure De Rossi’s side stayed winless after a headed goal six minutes into added time.

And it turned out to be the final straw for the Roma hierarchy, booting De Rossi from his position just a few days later.

He had just won one out of his last 11 competitive matches before getting sacked.

For Juric, he’ll be inheriting a side that’s good enough to deliver satisfactory Serie A 2024 results. Getting the likes of Paulo Dybala, Artem Dovbyk, Lorenzo Pellegrini, Matias Soule and Stephan El Shaarawy firing is a good start.

But he’ll have to do it at home with a tonne of backlash surrounding Stadio Olimpico, as fans promised to protest, angry at how De Rossi’s sacking was handled.

 

Udinese are starting as they mean to go on

I Friulani were battling relegation last season. But you wouldn’t think that the way they opened their Serie A season this year.

With three wins and a draw, Udinese have matched their best-ever start to a Serie A campaign since the 2000/01 season under Luigi De Canio.

Their record also meant that head coach Kosta Runjaic is the third manager in the club’s history to maintain an undefeated run in his first four Serie A matches.

Udinese drew level with Bologna in their first match, before winning three in a row against Lazio, Como and Parma—the last being a comeback for the ages, where Udinese battled back from a 2-0 deficit after scoring three second-half goals, thanks to a Florian Thauvin brace and a Lorenzo Lucca header.

 

History

Despite their differing results in the season, Roma are the dominant side when it comes to their recent head-to-head meetings.

I Giallorossi have won 18 of their last 22 Serie A games against Udinese, dating back to the 2013/14 season.

 

Betting Tip

Regardless if Udinese are in fine form so far, the SBOTOP Serie A 2024 odds back Roma (1.93) as the favourites to end their slump, with the visiting team the underdogs at 4.91.

Perhaps it’s a tad unfair, you might think, that I Friulani are the massive underdogs with the results they’ve had so far, compared to a struggling Roma outfit.

Well, I don’t buy it. That’s why I have Udinese winning, with the slight help of an Asian Handicap, of course.

But if both teams will play out a draw, in which they have four of that result between them, then feel free to bet on it with a price offered at 3.50.

   

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