Kosta Runjaic’s future at the Bluenergy Stadium could be on the line when his downtrodden Udinese side takes on Serie A giants Milan on Sunday night. Both sides will be desperate to add to their point tally, albeit for different reasons.
After a promising start to the season (W1, D1), Udinese’s form has fallen off a cliff. Runjaic’s men have lost five consecutive league matches and are currently tied on points with 18th-placed Fiorentina, while enduring their worst losing streak since 11 defeats in a row back in 2018.
Needless to say, Runjaic is walking a tightrope despite keeping Udinese safe from relegation in both previous seasons in charge of the Friulian club. Finding a way out of that stressful losing run has become imperative for the German coach, who oversaw a stunning 3-0 win over Milan at San Siro last season.
However, things have dramatically changed for the Rossoneri in the meantime. Ruben Amorim, who replaced Massimiliano Allegri in the summer, has yet to lose a Serie A fixture this season (W4, D3), with Milan entering this round as one of only four teams still unbeaten in Italy’s top flight.
Even so, the 19-time Italian champions come out of another underwhelming European night, with Bournemouth thrashing them 3-0 in midweek Europa League action. In Amorim’s defense, he refused to field his best starting XI at the Vitality Stadium, so fresh legs could help Milan return to the win column on Sunday.
Match Preview
Udinese
Udinese’s decline began with back-to-back losses to Milan’s fierce top-four rivals Inter and Lazio in September. While the Friulians could be forgiven for squandering a two-goal lead in a thumping 5-3 defeat at Giuseppe Meazza, a 3-0 home loss to Lecce last weekend was a bitter pill to swallow for perennial mid-table tenants.
Yet, Lecce’s win didn’t come as a big surprise, given Udinese’s notorious home struggles. Runjaic’s men have won just one of their last nine league matches at the Bluenergy Stadium (D2, L6), and they can hardly expect to defy that abysmal record here against Milan, at least based on their recent meetings in Udine.
The hosts have lost their last three home league matches against the Rossoneri, conceding at least three goals on each occasion. The picture becomes even bleaker when factoring in Udinese’s dreadful run of six successive defeats in Sunday-held Serie A games.
Milan
Things have gone terribly wrong for Milan in the Europa League, where they’ve lost two of their three matches without scoring (W1). However, the visitors can draw confidence from their decent Serie A start under Amorim, as they bid to open a new top-flight season on an eight-game unbeaten run for just the third time in the last 20 years.
On a positive note, Milan have lost only three away league outings since the beginning of last season (W12, D8). Yet, they have shared the spoils on three consecutive Serie A road trips and could make it four away league draws on the bounce for the first time since 2017. With table-topping Inter already four points away, the Rossoneri will be keen to avoid that unwanted feat here.
A bit more urgency from the get-go would help. Still, ten of Milan’s 14 league goals this season came after the hour mark, suggesting patience could be key to unlocking Udinese’s defense. That rings especially true when bringing their zero-goal first-half tally in away league action into the equation.
Team News
Udinese lost star defender David Alaba to injury in the Austrian’s maiden Serie A start last weekend, with the former Bayern Munich and Real Madrid ace joining Vakoun Bayo and Idrissa Gueye in the treatment room. However, Nicolo Zaniolo finally returns to the fold from injury, though Keinan Davis should lead the line for the home side.
Milan’s relatively short injury list features Alexis Saelemaekers, Matteo Gabbia, and Samuel Chukwueze, whose absence could prompt Amorim to deploy Diego Moreira as a right wingback. Goncalo Ramos, who didn’t travel to England with the rest of the team on Thursday, should regain his place in attack.
Udinese vs Milan Potential Starting Lineups
Udinese (3-4-2-1): Okoye; Bertola, Solet, Ebosse; Vojvoda, Karlstrom, Piotrowski, Kamara; Ekkelenkamp, Gomez; Davis.
Milan (3-4-2-1): Maignan; Tomori, De Winter, Pavlovic; Moreira, Musah, Modric, Bartesaghi; Rabiot, Pulisic; Ramos.
Udinese vs Milan Prediction
Udinese’s rotten patch puts Milan firmly in the driver’s seat, but the Rossoneri’s knack for dropping points on the road isn’t to be taken lightly. Nevertheless, the visitors can’t ask for a more favorable opportunity to put Thursday’s heartbreak firmly behind them than this one.