Fiorentina vs Udinese

Fiorentina host Udinese at the Stadio Artemio Franchi on Sunday in a Serie A fixture where the two clubs face very different pressures. Udinese sit comfortably in mid-table, while winless Fiorentina are rooted to the bottom of the standings and hungry for a response as the season nears its midpoint.

It has been a deeply frustrating campaign for Fiorentina, sitting 20th with just six points from 22 league matches. Eleven defeats underline the scale of their struggles, and confidence appears fragile. Recent patterns have been worrying, with Fiorentina losing their last three Serie A matches after trailing at both half-time and full-time, suggesting slow starts and an inability to recover once behind.

Defensive issues continue to haunt them as well, with at least one goal conceded in each of their last 10 league outings. Their home record shows an average of 1.86 goals conceded per match.

Despite those problems, there have been glimpses of attacking threat, especially in this fixture. Fiorentina have scored two or more goals in four of their last six Serie A meetings with Udinese, showing that this matchup has often suited them going forward.

However, turning those moments into points has been the issue, with just one win recorded across their last 16 league games overall.

A 3-5-2 formation with Albert Guðmundsson and Moise Kean in attack is expected against Udinese.

Udinese [LLWLW], by contrast, travel south sitting 10th in the table with 21 points and a noticeably steadier recent run. Three wins from their last six Serie A matches point to a side that has found rhythm and resilience, particularly in attack.

Historically, they have enjoyed success in recent meetings with Fiorentina, scoring at least twice in each of the last three Serie A clashes between the sides. Those encounters have also tended to be entertaining, with over 2.5 goals scored in each of the last three league meetings.

That said, Udinese’s record at the Artemio Franchi is far from dominant. They have won just three of their last 23 away Serie A matches against Fiorentina, a statistic that offers the home side some encouragement despite their current league position.

The challenge for Udinese will be balancing that historical difficulty with their recent attacking confidence. This is especially true against a Fiorentina defence that has struggled for consistency all season.

A 3-5-2 formation with Keinan Davis and Nicolo Zaniolo in attack is expected against the Purples. The setup reflects a plan to balance solidity with attacking intent against Fiorentina.