- Udinese form: Udinese Calcio have won two and drawn one of their last five matches, arriving in good form and on a two-game winning streak.
- Padova form: Padova have won two, drawn one and lost two of their last five, arriving in decent form but with questionable reliability.
Zebrette have found a formula to get out of the bottom three
Home form and tactics
Udinese have won their last two home games, beating Nottingham Forest and FC Barcelona 1-0 each time, to show they are back in form at the back and can play a possession-based game with real verticality. Kosta Runjaic's men use a three-at-the-back shape, which allows them to transition quickly from defence to attack and vice versa, so the duel of the wing-backs will be important in this game as will the battle for the half-space dominance.
Form and opposition
The Zebrette have won four, drawn one and lost five of their last ten matches in all competitions, which shows the odd game they have slipped up in, and should stand them in good stead on Saturday.
Padova will arrive in Udine in a relatively decent spell of form, winning two, drawing one and losing two of their last five, but the momentum is not so convincing that it should give the Zebrette too many concerns. Antonio Nicola Calabro's side are compact and pragmatic, with the wing-backs providing the width and the ability to counter-attack quickly when they have the ball.
- Keinan Davis has been a spark for Udinese, scoring two of their five goals in their last five matches.
- Luca Di Maggio has provided some of the goal power that Calabro needs, netting two in the last five.
Padova pack a punch but Udinese will still win
Padova's last three away games, which include a 4-3 win over Cesena, a 4-0 defeat to Sassuolo and a 3-3 draw at Monza, tell a story of chaos at the back and a need to keep the game fast-paced so that they can get in behind their opponents.
Given the 1.37 price on the home team is a bit of a surprise and 8.1 for the visitors is a touch on the short side, the obvious selection is Udinese to win, albeit in a game that should be competitive enough to be a tighter battle. Over 2.5 goals at 1.7 is another option while Both Teams to Score at 1.95 is also an option for the core wagers.
