Lazio will take on Udinese on Saturday evening after starting their Serie A season with a strong victory. The Biancocelesti triumphed over newly-promoted Venezia in their opening match, while Udinese managed to secure a point against Bologna.
Lazio’s new head coach, Marco Baroni, enjoyed a successful debut, quickly rallying his team after conceding a goal just minutes into the match. Taty Castellanos, stepping in for Ciro Immobile as the main striker, played a crucial role in getting Lazio back on track, scoring an equalizer before Mattia Zaccagni converted a penalty to give them the lead. A late own goal sealed a 3-1 victory for Lazio, marking them as one of only four teams to win on the opening weekend of Serie A.
With this win, Lazio extended their unbeaten streak to eight matches, equalling their best run since Simone Inzaghi’s departure to Inter Milan in 2021. After a tumultuous previous season under Maurizio Sarri and Igor Tudor, the team are eager to find stability and build on their promising start.
Baroni, who was not the fans’ first choice for the managerial role, aims to lead Lazio into a new era post-Immobile and improve upon last season’s seventh-place finish. Historical performance suggests he has a good chance of achieving back-to-back wins, as Lazio has not lost any of their last 11 league encounters in Udine, winning eight of those matches. However, Udinese did manage a surprising 2-1 victory in their last meeting with Lazio back in March.
Udinese enter this match with a sense of cautious optimism. They finished last season on a high note, avoiding relegation under the guidance of Fabio Cannavaro, who has since been replaced by Kosta Runjaic. The new coach saw his team draw 1-1 against Bologna in their season opener, with Lautaro Giannetti scoring the equalizer after a missed penalty from Florian Thauvin.
Despite their struggles last season, Udinese is currently unbeaten in their last seven matches, marking their best run in the top flight since late 2022. They will be eager to capitalize on their home advantage against Lazio.
Team News
In terms of team news, Lazio will be without Mario Gila due to a thigh injury, but Baroni has no other fitness concerns and may opt for an unchanged line-up. New signings Gaetano Castrovilli, Loum Tchaouna, and Boulaye Dia will be hoping to earn starting spots.
Udinese, on the other hand, will miss the services of Alexis Sanchez, who is sidelined with an injury. Danish defender Thomas Kristensen may return from a muscular issue, while Martin Payero and Sandi Lovric are expected to anchor the midfield.
As both teams look to build momentum early in the season, this match-up promises to be an exciting encounter.
Expected Starting XIs:
Udinese (3-4-1-2): Okoye; Perez, Bijol, Giannetti; Ehizibue, Payero, Lovric, Kamara; Thauvin; Brenner, Lucca
Lazio (4-3-3): Provedel; Lazzari, Casale, Romagnoli, Marusic; Dele-Bashiru, Rovella, Guendouzi; Noslin, Castellanos, Zaccagni
