Fresh from their first win of the Serie A season, Udinese host misfiring Fiorentina at the Dacia Arena on Wednesday.
While the Friulani saw off promoted Monza last Friday, their Tuscan counterparts posted a third straight goalless draw at the weekend and have not found the net in over 300 minutes of play.
Match preview
Having picked up just one point from the opening two rounds of the season, Udinese were intent on claiming all three against promoted opposition last time out, and a comeback from 1-0 down saw them do just that at Monza's Stadio Brianteo.
After Beto got the Bianconeri back on level terms just four minutes after going behind in the first half, Destiny Udogie's 77th-minute strike secured victory - putting his team on four points from three games played in Serie A.
Previously beaten by Milan and held by Salernitana, posting a fourth away win from seven attempts will have boosted confidence at the Friuli club ahead of a tough run of fixtures: set to face Roma and Inter by the middle of next month, Andrea Sottil's side must first tackle Fiorentina, to whom they lost at home last season.
Udinese, though, surprised Serie A with a 4-0 victory in Florence when the teams last met, in April, with Udogie once again on the scoresheet.
A repeat of that feat would be warmly welcomed in midweek, but given Fiorentina's recent defensive record, the odds are stacked against it.
A run of stalemates has seen Fiorentina frustrated in recent days, though on closer analysis, three successive 0-0 results have not been disastrous by any stretch of the imagination.
Keeping Twente goalless in their Europa Conference League playoff second leg saw the Viola safely through to the group stage, shortly after they were held by Tuscan rivals Empoli in Serie A.
Then, on Sunday night, Vincenzo Italiano steered his side to a valuable point at home to potential Scudetto contenders Napoli, in an absorbing encounter that neither team could quite wrest control from the other.
Italiano has built his reputation on a preference for attacking football, but Fiorentina have actually put together an commendable defensive record throughout 2022: at home in Florence, they have now kept eight clean sheets from 12 league matches this year - only champions Milan can match that tally - but they tend to fare worse on the road.
Just six wins from 20 away trips since the start of last season demonstrates form that has held the Viola back - a flaw they will have to fix if they are to bridge the gap to Serie A's top six.
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Team News
Udinese coach Andrea Sottil is once again without wing-back Nehuen Perez, who serves the second match of a two-game suspension on Wednesday, following his dismissal against Salernitana.
Therefore, either Roberto Pereyra will continue to deputise on the right flank, or Festy Ebosele could be handed his first Serie A start since signing earlier this summer.
After scoring in the win over Monza, Portguese forward Beto will expect to keep his place alongside Gerard Deulofeu up front, but Isaac Success is pushing to regain a starting role.
Meanwhile, Vincenzo Italiano could make several changes to his Fiorentina side, with a visit from Juventus and the opening game of the club's Conference League campaign to come in the next few days.
Riccardo Sottil will aim to retain his place in the front three, as the winger comes up against his father in the opposition dugout, but Christian Kouame, Nicolas Gonzalez and Riccardo Saponara are all hoping to be promoted to the visitors' first XI instead. With goals in short supply of late, Luka Jovic may be replaced by Arthur Cabral up front.
Only midfield pair Gaetano Castrovilli and Szymon Zurkowski are confirmed absentees due to injury.
Udinese possible starting lineup:
Silvestri; Becao, Nuytinck, Masina; Pereyra, Lovric, Walace, Makengo, Udogie; Deulofeu, Beto
Fiorentina possible starting lineup:
Gollini; Venuti, Milenkovic, Igor, Biraghi; Barak, Mandragora, Maleh; Ikone, Cabral, Sottil
We say: Udinese 1-1 Fiorentina
Given their struggles away from home - and an inability to find the net in recent days - Fiorentina may be forced to settle for a single point against a Udinese side that pose a distinct threat of their own when on top of their game.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
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