Udinese take on Bologna at the Stadio Friuli in one of Serie A’s three afternoon games on Sunday.
History is not on the visitors’ side as they have not won at the Stadio Friuli since 2005 and lost the reverse fixture earlier in the season 2-1 that saw the Zebrette break a four game losing run at the time.
They will be hoping to repeat the same trick as they are currently on a six game winless streak with three draws in the last three matches. Coach Stefano Colnatuono is still under heavy pressure to turn the ship around as they sit in a lowly 14th place.
Bologna, however, are a much changed team to the one that lost 2-1 to Udinese on the sixth match day of the season.
They have changed coach bringing in Roberto Donadoni and the change seems to have worked wonders for them with the team quietly working their way up to 11th place, a very respectable placing for a newly promoted side.
Udinese’s newly renovated stadium has not seen them capitalise on home advantage as they have the second worst home record in the league and have scored by far the least amount of goals on home turf.
Meanwhile, Bologna have impressed away from home winning five games against Carpi, Verona, Genoa, AC Milan and Sassuolo.
Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu will miss the game for the hosts through suspension as will veteran defenders Giovanni Pasquale and Maurizio Domizzi through injury.
Antonio Mirante and Luca Rossettini will be absent for Bologna courtesy of injury, whilst one of Anthony Mounier and Luca Rizzo will form the attacking trident alongside Emmanuele Giaccherini and Mattia Destro.
Form Guide: Udinese (D-D-D-L-L) Bologna (D-L-W-W-D)
Expected Starting XIs
Udinese: Karnezis; Wague, Felipe, Danilo; Edenilson, Kuzmanovic, Lodi, Halfredsson, Armero; Thoreau, Zapata
Bologna: Da Costa; Ferrari, Oikonomou, Gastaldello, Masina; Donsah, Diawara, Taider; Mounier, Destro, Giaccherini
