Udinese vs. Como – News and Probable Lineups

On Easter Monday, Serie A newcomers Como will face Udinese in a lunchtime fixture with historical significance.

Currently on the verge of clinching a Champions League spot for next season, the Lariani are a genuine threat to Italy’s established teams, aiming for their sixth consecutive league victory this weekend.

Match overview

Como concluded preparations for the international break with an emphatic 5-0 victory over Pisa, who are destined for Serie B, at Stadio Sinigaglia, ensuring they remain in fourth place with just eight matches left.

Leading their nearest rivals Juventus and Roma by three points, the ambitious Lariani are on the brink of achieving a historic qualification for Europe’s premier tournament.

Cesc Fabregas has recently navigated his team to five straight league victories, triumphing over both Juve and Roma during this impressive run, making 2026 an exceptional year thus far.

Remarkably, they would share top spot in Serie A with Inter de Milão for the latter half of this season – a remarkable feat considering it’s their second season back in Italy’s top tier – with both Lombardy teams accruing 24 points.

Fabregas’s squad boasts the highest goals scored and the least conceded during this timeframe, exhibiting an abundant attacking threat.

Assane Diao’s goal against Pisa marked the 16th different player to score for Como this season, and they are uniquely the only side in Serie A with multiple players achieving double-digit goals: Nico Paz has netted 10 times and Tasos Douvikas has 11.

Remaining unbeaten in away matches this calendar year, they are now set to embark on three significant away trips in their next four fixtures: prior to the second leg of their Coppa Italia semi-final against Inter, the Biancoblu must travel to Sassuolo and Udinese.

Including a 1-0 loss at Sinigaglia in January, Udinese have suffered defeats in their last two encounters – both away.

However, the Friulani have never been defeated by Como in a top-flight match at home, securing victory in seven of the ten previous clashes.

Most of these games date back several decades, so Kosta Runjaic’s team will understand that historical context will have little bearing on Monday’s game.

Following a somewhat fortunate 2-0 win against Genoa in their last outing, Udinese currently sit in 11th place in the Serie A standings, with a rare top-half finish still a possibility with eight matches to go.

After narrowly avoiding relegation in 2024, Runjaic joined the team without much attention, but he has managed to establish the Bianconeri as consistent mid-table contenders.

Having comfortably avoided danger for a second consecutive season – indeed, finishing in eighth place is still a feasible objective – they can now approach matches with freedom.

Team News

Como may be without two of their young Spanish talents come Monday, as Jesus Rodriguez (knee) and Jacobo Ramon (calf) are both battling injuries.

Dutch winger Jayden Addai is the only confirmed absentee for the visitors, giving Fabregas a multitude of choices to consider.

While Paz and Douvikas are expected to feature in Udine, the home team will be missing their leading scorer.

Keinan Davis will serve a suspension, halting the English striker’s momentum, with five goals in 10 Serie A appearances since the beginning of this year, already matching his total from 2025.

Potential replacement Adam Buksa (calf) is also out, leaving either Vakoun Bayo or Idrissa Gueye to partner Nicolo Zaniolo in attack.

In addition to Buksa, Jordânia Zemura and Alessandro Zanoli are also dealing with injuries, while Thomas Kristensen and starting goalkeeper Maduka Okoye are listed as minor doubts.

Udinese probable starting XI:

Okoye; Kristensen, Kabasele, Solet; Ehizibue, Ekkelenkamp, ​​Karlstrom, Atta, Kamara; Zaniolo, Bayo

Como probable starting XI:

Butez; Smolcic, Ramon, Kempf, Moreno; Perrone, Da Cunha; Vojvoda, Paz, Baturina; Douvikas

A fortnight break will not derail Como’s remarkable ascent, as they are anticipated to overwhelm mid-table rivals who will be without their key striker.

Udinese are still in a position to spring surprises, but they have little left to strive for and have actually accumulated more points in away games.