Preview: Udinese vs. Sampdoria - prediction, team news, lineups

Udinese will be looking to bring an end to their disappointing run of home form and climb up the Serie A table when they play host to Sampdoria on Sunday.

Despite a five-game winless run at the Dacia Arena, the Bianconeri are a comfortable eight points above the relegation zone, three points better off than Sampdoria.

Match preview

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Udinese have defeated Roma 2-0 and SPAL 3-0 on their travels either side of their most recent home outing, a 2-2 draw with Genoa, which saw them concede two goals late on.

Luca Gotti's men, who had previously been nine games without a win home and away before beating Roma, are now surely safe from the drop with seven games to play.

Their three-goal win at SPAL in midweek was their joint-biggest victory of the campaign, with Rodrigo de Paul, Stefano Okaka and Kevin Lasagna all on target.

Maintaining this recent momentum will now be the aim for Gotti ahead of this clash with Sampdoria, who enter the game on the back of a 2-0 reverse at the hands of Atalanta BC.

Losing to the division's in-form side is no shame, of course, especially on the back of successive wins over Lecce and SPAL to ease their own relegation worries.

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The Blucerchiati have a five-point buffer on Genoa in 18th place, meaning that there is still a little bit of work to do if they are to make certain of their top-flight status.

They can go a long way to achieving that with three points on Sunday, and they have won their last two league games against Udinese - not since 1997 have they won three in a row.

Claudio Ranieri's side still have champions Juventus and a rejuvenated AC Milan to face, though, so they cannot afford to lose their focus at this late stage in the campaign.

Scoring first could well prove the key this weekend given that the hosts are one of only two sides - along with Napoli - yet to gain a point from trailing situations at home.

Finding the net is not something these sides specialise in, however, managing just a combined 66 between them this term - 19 fewer than Atalanta, for context.

Udinese's Serie A form: DLLWDW

Sampdoria's Serie A form: LLLWWL

Team News

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Gotti has paired Okaka with Lasagna in Udinese's last two matches and that should remain the case on Sunday, though Ilija Nestorovski will be holding out for a recall.

Indeed, Nestorovski has scored three goals in three top-flight games against Sampdoria - more than he has managed against any other side in Serie A.

Ken Sema served a one-match ban last time out and is also in contention to return here, though the hosts are expected to make minimal changes to their starting lineup.

As for Sampdoria, Alex Ferrari and Lorenzo Tonelli are their only confirmed absentees for this trip to the Dacia Arena.

Manolo Gabbiadini led the line against Atalanta in midweek but may be left out here, with Antonino La Gumina and Federico Bonazzoli possible options for Ranieri.

However, Gabbiadini has scored in each of the two games that he has played against Udinese in Serie A. Udinese possible starting lineup: Musso; Maio, Nuytinck, Samir; Larsen, De Paul, Jajalo, Fofana, Zeegelaar; Okaka, Lasagna

Sampdoria possible starting lineup: Audero; Depaoli, Yoshida, Colley, Murru; Leris, Vieira, Ekdal, Linetty; Gumina, Bonazzoli

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We say: Udinese 1-1 Sampdoria

Both sides have been in decent form over the past couple of weeks, even if Sampdoria did lose their most recent match. The visitors can draw level on points with their opponents should they come out on top on Sunday, but were are tipping this one to finish level.