Serie A | Gameweek 25

Feb 16, 2025 at 2pm UK

Dacia Arena

Udinese vs Empoli

Match preview

Going toe-to-toe with Italy's top team at the Stadio Maradona, Udinese were well worth their point as they frustrated first-placed Napoli last weekend.

The Friulians wasted several chances before Scott McTominay opened the scoring, only for Jurgen Ekkelenkamp to hit back spectacularly moments later.

As a result, Kosta Runjaic's side have drawn four of their last seven league games - as many as they had drawn in their previous 21 - and remain 10th in the Serie A table.

Runjaic has made a huge impact at a club that narrowly avoided relegation just a few months ago, with Udinese holding off Bologna and Atalanta BC as well as beating Fiorentina and Lazio.

The Bianconeri are unbeaten in six meetings with Empoli and have lost just two of 15 top-flight home matches against this week's visitors. They have also scored twice as many goals as their Tuscan opponents.

After a 1-1 draw in the reverse fixture in November, when Keinan Davis's late strike denied Empoli maximum points, the sides have drawn each of their last three league meetings.

The Azzurri, who are still winless in 2025, suffered a 2-0 defeat at the hands of AC Milan last time out, when they were on course for a point against a 10-man opponent until Luca Marianucci's unnecessary dismissal.

Empoli have picked up the fewest points in their last nine matches, leaving them just one point above the relegation zone and facing another battle for Serie A survival.

At the top of Roberto D'Aversa's list of concerns must be some serious second-half problems: his side are the only side to have failed to pick up a point by scoring in the final 30 minutes this season, and have also conceded the most goals in the last half hour (14).

The Tuscans now face a particularly tough end to February. After a long trip north to Udine, they host Atalanta and then face Juventus in the quarter-finals of the Coppa Italia.

Recent Performance

Udinese Serie A form:DDLLWD

Empoli Serie A form:DLLDLL

Team News

After adjusting his tactics last weekend to pair Florian Thauvin and Lorenzo Lucca in a 4-4-2, it remains to be seen how Kosta Runjaic will set up Udinese on Sunday.

Lucca needs one more goal to reach double figures for the first time in a single Serie A season, and Thauvin and Alexis Sanchez will once again be competing to support him.

Only Isaak Toure (knee) and goalkeeper Maduka Okoye (wrist) are unavailable through injury, while Empoli's list of absentees is far longer.

Ola Solbakken, Pietro Pellegri, Nicolas Haas, Saba Sazonov, Mattia Viti and Tyronne Ebuehi are all out, while three other potential starters are doubtful. Tino Anjorin, Jacopo Fazzini and key defender Ardian Ismajli will all face fitness tests.

Youssef Maleh is available after serving a one-match ban, but Luca Marianucci is suspended following his dismissal against Milan.

Up front, Sebastiano Esposito has scored seven of his eight league goals away from home and needs just one more to equal Empoli's record for away goals in a single Serie A campaign.

Possible starting lineup

Udinese possible starting lineup:

Sava; Kristensen, Bijol, Solet, Kamara; Lovric, Karlstrom, Payero; Ekkelenkamp, Thauvin; Lucca

Empoli possible starting lineup:

Vasquez; De Sciglio, Goglichidze, Pezzella; Gyasi, Henderson, Grassi, Maleh, Cacace; Esposito, Colombo