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

Set to round off Serie A's third matchday on Monday evening, Udinese and Lazio will both aim to extend their excellent start to the season.

While the hosts have come through two cup ties and are unbeaten in the league, their visitors from the capital have claimed maximum points without conceding.

Match preview

Once again, Udinese have made a fast start to the new season, continuing a trend under the canny management of Kosta Runjaic.

The Fruilani are in fine form, having held big-spending Como to a draw in their opening league fixture, before beating Monza 3-2 with some powerful finishing.

Furthermore, they have already progressed through two Coppa Italia ties to set up a last-16 clash with Atalanta.

Having eliminated Padova in round one, Udinese maintained their unbeaten streak on Wednesday, when they dumped out regional rivals Venezia thanks to a brace by Ivorian striker Vakoun Bayo.

Runjaic - who led them to 10th place last season - must now switch focus back to Serie A, aiming to secure seven points from the first three games for a third consecutive year.

Precedent suggests he should have a good chance: Udinese have lost just two of their last 10 league meetings with Lazio, including a pair of dramatic draws last term.

There were very late levellers in both of those games, and Davide Frattesi has built a reputation for striking in stoppage time - including once against Udinese while with Inter Milan.

Having traded Inter for Lazio this summer, he is already established as the fans' new hero, thanks to scoring the winner in his first two appearances.

First, Frattesi struck the decider against Bologna, before repeating that feat at home to Genoa last time out; remarkably, the Rome club have now won their last seven games against the latter by an aggregate score of 14-2.

Though Lazio have only taken maximum points from their first three Serie A fixtures twice before - in 1974 and 2012 - that must be the target for new coach Gennaro Gattuso, who was instrumental in signing Frattesi.

History will be on the Biancocelesti's side, as they have lost just once across their last 13 league visits to Udine, also winning on eight occasions.

Udinese Serie A form:

Udinese form (all competitions):

Lazio Serie A form:

Lazio form (all competitions):

Team News

Once again, Udinese will be missing Nicolo Zaniolo and Matteo Palma, who recently joined Giorgi Chakvetadze and long-term absentee Alessandro Zanoli on the sidelines.

In better news for the Bianconeri, experienced defender Christian Kabasele returned from a ban on Wednesday, and even without Zaniolo they have plenty of competition up front.

Idrissa Gueye started against Como, while last term's top scorer Keinan Davis got the nod against Padova and Monza; Bayo has just bagged a brace in the cup.

Even wing-back Hassane Kamara has two goals in as many league games, while Frattesi is the lone Lazio player to score so far.

The Italy midfielder particularly likes facing Udinese, having found the net five times against them in Serie A, and he should start behind a lone striker on Monday.

Andrea Pinamonti and Tijjani Noslin are both contenders, though Boulaye Dia has led the line since Gattuso took charge.

Albert Gudmundsson has just arrived as another attacking option, but Lazio will travel without several injured men: defensive duo Patric and Adam Marusic, plus midfield trio Nicolo Rovella, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru and Danilo Cataldi.

Udinese possible starting lineup:

Okoye; Abankwah, Kabasele, Solet; Vojvoda, Karlstrom, Piotrowski, Kamara; Ekkelenkamp, Gomez; Davis

Lazio possible starting lineup:

Mandas; Lazzari, Doekhi, Provstgaard, Tavares; Frattesi, Belahyane, Taylor; Cancellieri, Pinamonti, Zaccagni