Parma look to have secured the Serie A survival, but il Ducali could really use all three points from the Udinese game as they battle for a top 10 finish. Friulani could still join the race for Europa League places, but with Antonio Di Natale missing the trip to Ennio Tardini, their chances of winning this match are not that great.

Two clean sheets on the bounce

Parma may have had a slow start to the current league campaign, but the team quickly started proving their worth and they were even close to European places at one stage. It turned out that the team are still not ready to mount a serious challenge for a top 6 finish, but a top-table berth is up for grabs. In all fairness, il Ducali were never too impressive up front, with Amauri looking well past his prime and Ishak Belfodil not getting enough chances to prove his worth, while Roberto Donadoni’s cautious approach also has something to do with the record of 39 goals in 31 league games. On the plus side, team’s back line remains in fine working order, as witnessed by clean sheets against Pescara and Siena, and there is a good chance of the run continuing against Di Natale-less Udinese. The hosts are obviously ready to give their best to win this game, but don’t expect them to go all guns blazing at their opponents as that is simply not their style. They can rather be trusted to keep things right at the back and not make any unnecessary risks.

Marco Parolo misses out through suspension, while McDonald Mariga and Raffaele Palladino remain on the sidelines.

Udinese continue to improve

Following a glorious league campaign when the Zebrette managed to win a hard-fought battle for the third place in Serie A, nobody expected much of them this term after a number of key players were allowed to leave in the summer. With Francesco Guidolin’s squad also the subject of a big injury crisis, Udinese indeed largely struggled in the early exchanges, but they have since showed a considerable improvement. As a result, the Friulani climbed to the top half of the standings and even managed to enter the race for European places, but it looks as though they would be happy just to finish in the top 10. Udinese travel to Ennio Tardini on the back of a 3-1 victory over Chievo, but with star striker Antonio Di Natale missing, the Zebrette may have to rely on the rock-solid back line to help them avoid defeat in Parma. Udinese haven’t been too impressive on the travels of late, but a defence-minded approach could see them get something from this match.

Antonio Di Natale and Mehdi Benatia are banned, but Giampiero Pinzi is finally set to return into action after a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

Verdict

While Parma continue to struggle up front, Udinese cannot really be trusted to score without their top scorer and key player Antonio Di Natale. As a result, we should see a pretty tight game at Ennio Tardini, with chances few and far between, so don’t expect to see goals galore when the two sides square off on Sunday afternoon.

Top pick: Both teams to score – No   2.10 (11/10) @ Paddy Power

Alternative pick 1: Under 2.5 goals   1.80 (4/5) @ Betfair

Alternative pick 2: Half-time draw   2.20 (6/5) @ bet365

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