Fiorentina vs Udinese prediction: ITALY: Serie A betting tips on match 2024-12-22 17:30.
[p]After winning ten of their 11 games (L1) across all competitions in October and November, Fiorentina have struggled in December with only two wins from their five matches (D1, L2) so far. A 1-0 league defeat away at Bologna last weekend was quickly followed by a 1-1 draw with Guimarães in Europe on Thursday, but Raffaele Palladino’s side begin this gameweek just six points off the Serie A summit with a game in hand on the leaders.[/p]
[p]La Viola’s position reflects their home form which has seen them suffer only one defeat, and even that was on penalties, at the Stadio Artemio Franchi from April onwards (W13, D5). Having won five consecutive home games in Serie A they’ll now take on Udinese, a team who they have won more home league games against (16) than any other side since their return to the top flight in 2004/05![/p]
[p]With a record like that, it is perhaps unsurprising that the Zebras have not relished trips to Florence over the past two decades, but the tide could be turning as Udinese have only been beaten once across their last three visits (W1, D1). Maintaining that change of momentum may be a hard task for Kosta Runjaić though as his side have lost five of their last seven away games (W1, D1) and won only one of their last eight matches (D1, L6) anywhere.[/p]
[p]That has contributed to a drop down the Serie A table and Udinese will begin this gameweek in ninth place, a far cry from sitting top of the league after four matches! Since that round, only Hellas Verona have recorded more defeats in the division, and after exiting the Coppa Italia on Thursday evening, this season, which promised so much in mid-September, could yet turn into a relegation dogfight if they’re not careful.[/p]
[p]Players to watch: Lucas Beltrán grabbed Fiorentina’s opener in this fixture last season and he has contributed an assist in each of his last three Serie A home games. Lorenzo Lucca assisted the first goal in January’s H2H and is yet to finish on the losing side when scoring in an away fixture across his senior career.[/p]
[p]Hot stat: Udinese have not kept a clean sheet in an away game this season (W2, D2, L5).[/p]
[p][i]Written by Tom Penn[/i][/p]