Lazio vs Udinese – News and Probable Lineups

Following a thrilling penalty shootout victory that secured their place in the cup final, Lazio is set to return to Serie A on Monday as they host Udinese in Rome.

Advancing to the Coppa Italia final could redeem what has been a lackluster season; on the other hand, the visitors could close the gap to one point by defeating the Biancocelesti at Stadio Olimpico.

Match overview

Remaining in the hunt for an eighth national cup title, Lazio reached the Coppa Italia final on Wednesday evening, overcoming Atalanta in a penalty shootout.

Alessio Romagnoli’s stoppage-time goal seemed to secure a 3-2 aggregate victory in Bergamo, but La Dea quickly retaliated and forced the match into extra time.

Ultimately, Lazio emerged victorious in a penalty shootout fraught with misses, setting up a final clash against Inter de Milão, with backup goalkeeper Edoardo Motta engraving his name in club history by making four crucial saves.

Having previously dispatched last year’s finalists – Bologna and AC Milan – they have navigated a challenging path to the final, which will be hosted on home soil next month; however, they first need to focus on a less impressive league campaign.

Maurizio Sarri’s squad currently sits ninth in Serie A and risks missing out on European competition for the second consecutive year, making the Coppa Italia their best chance to return to UEFA tournaments.

Despite an inconsistent performance, results have improved, culminating in their ending of Napoli’s long unbeaten streak in top-flight football last week at Stadio Maradona.

Indeed, Lazio has secured four wins in their last six league fixtures – matching the number of victories obtained in their previous 17 – and Wednesday’s cup triumph is likely to have significantly boosted morale in the squad.

With Udinese just four points behind Lazio in mid-table, they should approach the lengthy journey to Rome without trepidation.

A late equalizer from Keinan Davis in the earlier fixture this season managed to secure a point, which took place towards the end of last year, while the Friulani maintain an unbeaten streak of five consecutive away games against Lazio.

Moreover, since the beginning of March, Kosta Runjaic’s team has recorded victories over both Fiorentina and AC Milan with 3-0 scorelines, in addition to drawing with European hopefuls Atalanta and Como.

Udinese has also conceded just one goal in their last four matches, although that solitary goal resulted in a 1-0 defeat at home to Parma in their most recent outing.

Aiming to quickly bounce back and enhance their chances of finishing in the top half of the league, the Bianconeri are now looking to secure three consecutive Serie A away wins for the first time since 2022.

Team News

Lazio will be without key defender Mario Gila, who exited Wednesday’s cup match due to an ankle issue, leading to Oliver Proxgaard likely taking his place alongside Romagnoli in defense.

Right-back Adam Marusic is also a doubt, while playmaker Nicolo Rovella will join first choice Ivan Provedel and third choice Alessio Furlanetto on the sidelines once more.

With Daniel Maldini, Tijjani Noslin, Boulaye Dia, and Petar Ratkov all struggling to fill the gap left by West Ham United’s Taty Castellanos, the wide players Matteo Cancellieri and Gustav Isaksen are currently tied as the top scorers for the hosts with only four league goals each this season.

In contrast, Davis – who made his Serie A debut against Lazio and netted a last-minute equalizer in December’s reverse fixture – has achieved double-digit goals this season.

Nevertheless, he is not expected to return from his recent injury setback until next week; notably, Udinese averages only 0.7 points and 0.5 goals per game in his absence, compared to 1.4 points and 1.3 goals when he is in the starting lineup.

Nicolo Zaniolo filled in during the match against Parma, but Adam Buksa, Vakoun Bayo, and Idrissa Gueye are all available should Runjaic prefer a more traditional centre-forward at the Olimpico.

Jordânia Zemura and Nicolo Bertola remain sidelined with injuries, while the Bianconeri will need to replace captain Jesper Karlstrom, who is serving a one-match suspension due to accumulated yellow cards.

Lazio probable starting XI:

Motta; Lazzari, Romagnoli, Proxgaard, Tavares; Basic, Cataldi, Taylor; Isaksen, Noslin, Zaccagni

Udinese probable starting XI:

Okoye; Kristensen, Kabasele, Solet; Ehizibue, Piotrowski, Zarraga, Kamara; Ekkelenkamp, ​​Atta; Zaniolo

Despite Lazio’s recent positive results, Udinese presents a formidable challenge and can be dangerous on the counter-attack.

As both sides aim for a mid-table finish, they may end up in a low-scoring draw.