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

Fresh off ending a two-match losing away streak, Udinese welcome Pisa to Bluenergy Stadium on Saturday, aiming to claim their fourth Serie A win in Udine this season.

Such ambitions are feasible given the away club’s winless start on the road, even if the Udine hosts must be wary of the Nerazzurri’s propensity to play out draws away from home ahead of this weekend’s 20th round.

Match preview

Entering Wednesday, Udinese had failed to win in three Serie A matches, picking up one point from nine preceding the midweek round’s visit to Turin.

Those results witnessed a 5-1 defeat at the hands of Fiorentina and a 1-0 loss at the home of high-flying Como, sandwiching a 1-1 draw with low-scoring Lazio.

As a result, you would have forgiven supporters for expecting the worst for the Little Zebras; however, Kosta Runjaic’s team scored twice in a game for the first time in seven matches in all competitions to claim a 2-1 win against the Granata, courtesy of goals from Nicolo Zaniolo and Jurgen Ekkelenkamp before Cesare Casadei pulled one back for Torino.

Fresh off that triumph at Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino, the Bianconeri now seek to claim back-to-back league wins for the first time since September, when they followed up a 2-1 win at Inter Milan with a 1-0 victory against Pisa in Tuscany.

Hoping to end their four-month wait for consecutive league triumphs, the home supporters will back their players to extend the Nerazzurri’s wait for an away win since regaining promotion.

Alberto Gilardino has been unable to mastermind a 90-minute performance capable of earning maximum points for the Black and Blues on their travels after nine attempts.

Nonetheless, fans have seen their team pull up trees on their travels more than in home games, even if the statistics show that the promoted club have accrued six points apiece in home and away matches.

Closer examination, however, shows that Pisa have only suffered three defeats in nine of their matches on the road this season, playing out six draws, compared to Arena Garibaldi, where they have lost six of 10, playing out three draws and earning one victory.

With only one of their 13 league goals coming in home games, Gilardino’s team play freely on their travels, where they have also let in 18 goals compared to 10 at home, with only Hellas Verona (18) letting in as many goals in away games in Serie A.

Nevertheless, considering only one league defeat has been suffered in their last six matches on the road, the away fans will not travel to Udine in fear, as they can trust in their team’s battling qualities to make Saturday’s contest competitive.

Udinese Serie A form:

Pisa Serie A form:

Team News

Although Udinese did not seem to suffer any apparent injury in the win over Torino, the Friulani are without Adam Buksa, Jordan Zemura and Saba Goglichidze due to injury, while Vakoun Bayo is away on international duty with the Ivory Coast at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

While Zaniolo moved level with Keinan Davis on five league goals for the season, the Italy international has scored more away from home (four) than in Udine (one) heading into this weekend’s contest.

Davis, interestingly, has scored two of his five league goals in Udine, and it remains to be seen if the Bianconeri’s leading scorers are prolific in Saturday’s game at Bluenergy Stadium.

Like their hosts, Pisa did not seem to sustain any fresh injury problems during the midweek round, leaving Calvin Stengs, Juan Cuadrado, Raul Albiol, Henrik Wendel Meister and Mateus Lusuardi as possible absentees.

They are also without the influential Ebenezer Akinsanmiro, who is away at AFCON 2025 with Nigeria’s Super Eagles, albeit he has yet to play a minute for Eric Chelle’s men.

The midfielder will return to Tuscany to the signing of compatriot Rafiu Durosinmi, who had scored seven league goals for Viktoria Plzen before moving to Italy’s top division, and the forward could make his debut in this weekend’s fixture.

Having seen joint-leading scorer M’Bala Nzola fail to tuck away a penalty against Como to add to his three league goals, Gilardino needs more firepower up top, and Durosinmi has the potential to provide additional threat for the Nerazzurri.

Udinese possible starting lineup:

Okoye; Kristensen, Kabasele, Solet; Zanoli, Piotrowski, Karlstrom, Ekkelenkamp, Kamara; Zaniolo, Davis

Pisa possible starting lineup:

Semper; Coppola, Caracciolo, Canestrelli; Toure, Leris, Aebischer, Piccinini, Angori; Nzola, Tramoni