Udinese are taking on Fiorentina this Sunday, exactly 95 years after their first meeting with the Viola. They have faced each other 98 times in Serie A, with the record standing at 24 wins, 28 draws and 46 losses. However, the head-to-head over the last nine matches has been perfectly balanced - three wins, three draws, and three losses. Udinese’s last meeting against Fiorentina was on 25 May, which the Viola won 3-2 at Bluenergy Stadium. This was actually Fiorentina’s most recent Serie A win. The last match between the sides at the Stadio Artemio Franchi was a 2-1 win for Udinese on 23 December 2024. Udinese haven't drawn in their last nine matches (four wins and five losses), and if they continue this run with a victory they would come back from Florence with wins in back-to-back seasons for the first time since the late 1980s.
Udinese are the fourth-best team in Serie A - after Inter, Roma and Como - for winning the ball back in their attacking third following pressing (104), and only Inter and Juventus have recorded more shots following such a scenario, a key sign of aggressive and effective pressing. Jurgen Ekkelenkamp opened the scoring this season against Napoli. He did the same against the Azzurri last term, and in the following match he scored a brace against one of Fiorentina’s neighbours, Empoli.
The match at the Franchi this weekend will feature numerous anniversaries. Fiorentina were Kingsley Ehizibue’s first opponents as a Udinese player back in 2022 as well as Thomas Kristensen’s in 2023, while Keinan Davis and Alessandro Zanoli could reach the 50-appearance mark for Udinese and 100-appearance mark in Serie A respectively if they see game time on Sunday. Sandi Lovric and Christian Kabasele have already found the net against Fiorentina – the former in the 2-2 draw in January 2024, the latter in the last meeting between the two teams.
If Nicolo Zaniolo scores on Sunday it will be his 20th goal in Serie A. The Udinese number ten is one of several players who may face their former side, having played 13 matches for the Viola in the second half of last season. Udinese may lock horns with Pablo Mari, who made 15 appearances for the club between January and June 2022, Rolando Mandragora, who made 74 appearances between 2018 and 2021 and Pietro Comuzzo, who spent time at the Zebrette’s youth academy.