Udinese vs Calcio Padova – News and Probable Lineups

As the new league season approaches, Udinese is set to return to competitive play on Saturday evening against Padova in the Coppa Italia.

The winner of this initial round match will advance to face either Venezia or Modena in the next round.

Match overview

Last season, Udinese triumphed over Carrarese in their opening fixture, followed by eliminating the ambitious Serie B team Palermo from the Coppa Italia in September, before bowing out to Juventus with a 2-0 defeat in the round of 16.

Thus, the last significant cup run for the Bianconeri dates back to their journey to the semi-finals in 2014, and they aim to progress further this season.

Despite facing bids for several key players, Kosta Runjaic and his team have been active this summer; after starting with three defeats in their first four friendlies, they secured victories against both Nottingham Forest and Barcelona under unusual circumstances.

Two 1-0 wins in 45-minute matches allowed the hosts to lift the Friuli Venezia Giulia Cup, with Nicolo Zaniolo earning the title of ‘Player of the Tournament’.

Entering his third year at the helm, Runjaic guided Udinese to a 10th-place finish in Serie A last term, demonstrating continued progress during his tenure.

The Friulani prepare to kick off their new league campaign at home to Como next week, but must first ensure they do not suffer an upset in the cup.

While it’s been some time since Udinese made a notable cup run, Padova has experienced four early losses in the Coppa Italia preliminary round over the last five years.

Despite exiting early last season, the Biancoscudati managed to secure a 10th-place finish in Serie B, following their promotion back to Italy’s second tier in 2025.

Interim coach Roberto Breda stepped down, and new head coach Antonio Calabro will be tasked with guiding Padova towards the playoffs this season.

After beginning pre-season with consecutive losses, Calabro’s squad recently claimed a 2-0 victory against Cittadella and fought to a 3-3 draw with Monza, with former Udinese striker Kevin Lasagna netting twice against the latter.

These results may provide a momentum boost as they approach a challenging cup clash in Udine, followed by next week’s league opener against newly relegated Pisa.