Soccer Italy Serie A Prediction

Salernitana vs Udinese - Match Preview

⚽ 27 May 2023 - 13:00 GMT +0

There were dizzying highs, demoralising lows and a change of management along the way, but Salernitana has guaranteed themselves a better finish than their nail-biting 17th place from 2021/22. Monday’s 2-2 draw in Rome joined the growing successes of caretaker manager Paulo Sousa that already included draws with Napoli, both Milan clubs and a 1-0 win over Atalanta in their last home outing.

It remains to be seen whether a contract offer is coming Sousa’s way, but the home fans will no doubt be appreciative of his work after he collected 18 points in 14 SA matches (W3, D9, L2) compared with their haul of 21 points from 22 games under predecessor Davide Nicola. In fact, if they can go one better than the 0-0 draw in last August’s reverse H2H, Salernitana could cap off the season with seven straight home games without defeat (W3, D3).

Whereas Salernitana’s results have improved as the season progressed, Udinese’s best football is months behind them. A 1-0 home loss to top-four Lazio last round - the first time since January they suffered consecutive SA losses - has left a top-half finish almost certainly out of reach. In his debut SA season as a manager, Andrea Sottil’s frustrations have emerged in recent weeks, with his latest episode seeing the 49-year-old accuse Lazio’s Ciro Immobile of diving to win a decisive penalty goal.

Udinese’s fall into the bottom half of the table comes as a result of being the division’s worst travelling side in recent weeks. Not only are they the only club to have suffered four losses ‘to nil’ from their last four SA away trips, but their meagre three away goals scored since the World Cup break (W2, D1, L7) is by far the fewest of any club.

📋 Key battle: Antonio Candreva registered his earliest SA goal since November 2016 when opening the scoring against Roma - the fifth time he scored their first of a game this season. He may fancy his chances against Udinese custodian Marco Silvestri, who has the worst save percentage (70.5%) of all goalkeepers to have played in each of the first 36 rounds of the season.

⚡ Hot stat: All but two of Udinese’s last ten SA matches saw the designated home team lead at half-time.