This weekend also sees the final round of matches in the Italian top flight and features this upcoming clash between Salernitana and Udinese at the Stadio Arechi with the hosts desperate for all three points which would see them pull off a great escape from relegation.
Salernitana’s situation was looking pretty bleak heading into the new year as the hosts had managed to win just one of a run of 20 matches overall in the Italian top flight, which came in the shape of a 2-1 win away from home at Verona but also included no fewer than 13 defeats as well.
However, Salernitana have since staged an impressive recovery by putting together a solid seven-game unbeaten run in Serie A which consists of four wins and three draws; important points picked up in draws with Atalanta, Cagliari and Empoli have been further boosted by wins against Sampdoria, Sunday’s visitors, Udinese, Fiorentina and Venezia.
The hosts have also suffered just one defeat in their last eight home games, winning two of their last three matches on home soil.
Udinese sit in 12th place on the Serie A ladder and are in no danger of being dragged into the relegation zone, nor are the visitors involved in achieving a top seven finish either, so the visitors have apparently very little to play for here.
In the past few weeks there have also been a few signs to suggest that Udinese may have sub-conciously ‘switched off’.
The visitors have registered just one win out of their last six matches overall in the domestic top flight.
That rare win came in the form of a comprehensive 4-0 victory away from home at Fiorentina,
But this sequence of results also include defeats to Salernitana, Inter Milan and Spezia and indicate that Udinese’s form has declined in the last few weeks.
Udinese have also collected just two wins out of their last nine games away from home.
While the bigger picture shows the visitors have gained just three victories from their last 17 outings on the road as well.
Salernitana recorded a 1-0 win away at Udinese in the earlier corresponding fixture and we could see another similar scoreline unfold here this Sunday in the favour of the hosts.