Preview: Udinese vs Lazio - prediction, team news, lineups

One point apart in the Serie A standings, mid-table pair Udinese and Lazio will meet for their final fixture of the year on Saturday evening.

The hosts trail their counterparts from the capital after last week's demolition by rock-bottom Fiorentina - but they can leapfrog Lazio with a win.

Match preview

A moment of madness from Maduka Okoye cost Udinese dearly last weekend, as they slumped to a disastrous defeat at Stadio Franchi.

After the Bianconeri's goalkeeper was sent off within seven minutes, relegation-haunted Fiorentina found their missing spark and put five past substitute stopper Razvan Sava.

Though Oumar Solet pulled one back with a sumptuous second-half strike, Udinese were well beaten by Serie A's last winless team - which came as a shock soon after conquering the Italian champions.

Including a 1-0 victory over Napoli earlier this month, Kosta Runjaic's 10th-placed side have posted five wins, two draws and three losses on home turf, across both league and cup.

Consistently inconsistent, the Friulani have switched between keeping clean sheets and leaking goals at an alarming rate, which Runjaic will aim to address in 2026.

First, though, his team must try to end this year on a high by beating Lazio for the third time in four meetings.

Not only did Lazio lose on their most recent visit to Udine, back in August 2024, but they have also taken just one point from the clubs' last three encounters.

With ground to make up on Serie A's top six, the Biancocelesti cannot afford another defeat, amid such a tightly-packed fight for European places.

While their last away game, in Parma, brought an against-the-odds win with nine men, Lazio slipped up at Stadio Olimpico last week, when failing to see off Cremonese.

Still, after a 0-0 home draw, goalkeeper Ivan Provedel has kept a league-high nine clean sheets - his best tally at this stage since posting 11 in 2022-23, when Maurizio Sarri was first in charge.

Sarri's side - who recently eliminated AC Milan from the Coppa Italia, setting up a quarter-final clash with holders Bologna - now occupy eighth place in the standings, just one point ahead of Udinese.

As a transfer ban could be lifted in time for the January window, Sarri may be able to strengthen his slim squad sooner than expected, but some familiar faces must go again this weekend.

Udinese Serie A form:

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Udinese form (all competitions):

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Lazio Serie A form:

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Lazio form (all competitions):

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Team News

Due to his reckless dismissal in Florence, Okoye must miss out through suspension, meaning Sava will start between the posts for Udinese.

The hosts' absence list still features two wing-backs - Jordan Zemura is injured, while Rui Modesto is at the Africa Cup of Nations with Angola - but Hassane Kamara was back on the bench against Fiorentina.

Ivorian forward Vakoun Bayo is also in AFCON action, while Arthur Atta has yet to return from a thigh problem.

While Udinese's front pairing of Keinan Davis and Nicolo Zaniolo have four league goals apiece, Mattia Zaccagni is Lazio's leading Serie A scorer with three.

The visitors' captain is now back from a ban, but both Matteo Guendouzi and Toma Basic are suspended, while Nicolo Rovella is still injured.

With Fisayo Dele-Bashiru and Boulaye Dia representing their respective nations at AFCON, Samuel Gigot struggling with an ankle issue and Gustav Isaksen just returned to full training, Sarri has some selection issues to resolve.

Udinese possible starting lineup:

Sava; Kristensen, Kabasele, Solet; Zanoli, Ekkelenkamp, Karlstrom, Piotrowski, Bertola; Zaniolo, Davis

Lazio possible starting lineup:

Provedel; Marusic, Gila, Romagnoli, Pellegrini; Belahyane, Cataldi, Vecino; Cancellieri, Castellanos, Zaccagni