After starting the new Serie A season with a win, new-look Lazio will meet Udinese on Saturday evening.
While the Biancocelesti saw off promoted Venezia on the opening day, their hosts took a point home from Champions League-bound Bologna.
Match preview
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Lazio made a successful start to Marco Baroni's reign last weekend, having been stung into action by conceding a goal less than three minutes into their 2024-25 campaign.
Replacing Ciro Immobile as the Rome club's main striker this season, Taty Castellanos soon got his team back on track against Serie B playoff winners Venezia, before new captain Mattia Zaccagni fired them in front from the penalty spot.
Following a late own goal, the Biancocelesti put three points on the board with a 3-1 win, becoming one of only four teams to taste victory on Serie A's opening matchday.
Stretching back to last season, Lazio are now unbeaten in eight matches - equalling their best streak since Simone Inzaghi left for Inter Milan in 2021 - and after experiencing a turbulent campaign under Maurizio Sarri and then Igor Tudor, they will be hoping to hit calmer waters.
New boss Baroni was far from the fans' first-choice appointment, but he will lead the capital club into their post-Immobile era, aiming to improve on last term's seventh-placed finish.
Precedent suggests his chances of starting with back-to-back wins are strong, as Lazio have not lost any of their last 11 league games in Udine, winning no fewer than eight.
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Although Udinese actually came out on top in their last meeting with this week's opponents - a shock 2-1 success in March - the last time they posted consecutive league wins against Lazio was nearly 20 years ago.
That victory at Stadio Olimpico was one of few throughout a troubled 2023-24 season for the Bianconeri, when recording far too many draws almost saw them lose their long-held Serie A status.
Though Fabio Cannavaro stepped in and ultimately kept them afloat, his short-term deal was not renewed, with former Legia Warsaw boss Kosta Runjaic instead being appointed earlier this summer.
On his league debut - following a 4-0 Coppa Italia win over Avellino - the German coach continued last term's penchant for draws, albeit on this occasion Udinese were quite pleased to come away from Bologna with a point.
Having fallen behind just before the hour mark, French forward Florian Thauvin saw his attempt to equalise from the penalty spot tipped around the post; nevertheless, the resulting corner saw Lautaro Giannetti head the Friuliani level at 1-1.
Dating back to last season's successful escape from demotion, Udinese are therefore unbeaten in seven matches - a run featuring their best such sequence in the top flight since late 2022.
- D
- W
- D
- W
Team News
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After Mario Gila missed Lazio's opening-day win over Venezia with a thigh problem, the Spanish centre-back is set to be sidelined again this weekend.
Marco Baroni has no other fitness concerns, so could name an unchanged team; however, new boys Gaetano Castrovilli, Loum Tchaouna and Boulaye Dia will all hope to force their way into the starting XI.
Supporting Taty Castellanos up front, new skipper Mattia Zaccagni scored in both the first game of this season and the final round last term. However, Udinese are the team against which he has played the most minutes without ever scoring - 668 across 10 previous matches.
Meanwhile, Udinese's returning hero Alexis Sanchez has sustained an injury in training, and the 35-year-old could be out of action until after next month's international break. Danish defender Thomas Kristensen may return from a muscular issue, though.
After a long goodbye - one year after almost joining Inter - Lazar Samardzic has now left for Atalanta BC; in his absence, Martin Payero and Sandi Lovric should be paired in central midfield.
Up front, star striker Lorenzo Lucca will attempt to end a nine-game Serie A goal drought in front of the Friulani faithful - albeit he did score at home in the recent cup win over Avellino.
Udinese possible starting lineup:
Okoye; Perez, Bijol, Giannetti; Ehizibue, Payero, Lovric, Kamara; Thauvin; Brenner, Lucca
Lazio possible starting lineup:
Provedel; Lazzari, Casale, Romagnoli, Marusic; Dele-Bashiru, Rovella, Guendouzi; Noslin, Castellanos, Zaccagni
We say: Udinese 0-0 Lazio
As Udinese have started well under new management, it may be that Lazio have to settle for a single point on Saturday.
While the Biancocelesti showed some promise in their Serie A opener - against freshly promoted opposition - they will be put up against a stiffer test in Udine.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
