Udinese ended their six-match losing streak in the previous round. The Friulians faced Parma away from home. The return of Nicolò Zaniolo brought the Bianconeri to life. The team created several dangerous chances in the first half and could quite easily have taken the lead. The trend continued after the break, but the first 100% chance fell to the Crusaders. On 69 minutes, the Gialloblu were awarded a penalty, but Okoye saved the shot. The Friulians attacked Daffara’s goal but failed to make their pressure count.

Roma defeated Cagliari in the previous round. The Islanders took the lead in the tenth minute after Nzola converted a penalty. However, thanks to goals from Lulli and Pisilli, the Giallorossi went into halftime ahead. The match became more balanced, and the Wolves made no particular effort to force the issue. Maldini was the catalyst for the goal-filled finale. On 81 minutes, Daniele scored once again, greatly livening up the remainder of the match. Gasperini’s side had enough quality to secure the victory. Goals from Mora and Malen earned the Romans another three points.

Udinese have earned just one point from their five home matches. At the same time, the statistical metrics suggest that this record is somewhat unfair. According to xPTS, the Bianconeri should have scored 4.15 more goals at the Stadio Friuli. The xPTS metric indicates that Runjaic’s side have been shortchanged by 3.24 points. The Romans have recorded two wins and two draws in their away matches. According to xGA, the Giallorossi should have conceded 3.74 more goals. Meanwhile, xPTS shows that the team have slightly overachieved in terms of points. Last season, the Wolves suffered a 1–0 defeat at the Stadio Friuli. In their last five away matches, the Romans have managed only two victories. Moreover, both wins came by a margin of just one goal. The main obstacle for Gian Piero Gasperini will be the upcoming Champions League match against Manchester United. Three days after this game, the Wolves will play in England, and given such a packed schedule, the coach will obviously rotate the squad. Udinese have taken the first step toward emerging from their crisis. The match against Parma was not particularly indicative, but there was a positive trend in Runjaic’s team’s performance. Another positive development is the shrinking injury list of the Zebras. Taking all these factors together, one can assume that the Bianconeri will be able to put up a fight against the match favorite. And even if they lose, it will be by a minimal margin.