Preview: Cremonese vs. Udinese - prediction, team news, lineups

The visitors, meanwhile, have failed to win each of their last three games having previously enjoyed an excellent start to the season.

Match preview

Since returning to Serie A for the first time since being relegated in 1996, Cremonese have struggled to adjust to the step up in quality in Italy's top flight.

Head coach Fabio Pecchia resigning despite guiding La Cremo to promotion via second place in Serie B did not exactly help the club prepare as well as they would have liked, with Massimiliano Alvini facing significant pressure having failed to win any of his side's 11 league games this season.

Their 1-0 defeat at home to Sampdoria on Monday felt like a particularly crushing blow given that their opponents had also failed to win yet this season, with those three points seeing Sampdoria leapfrog Cremonese in the table and sending them bottom in the process.

The club's only real ray of light is that several other teams are struggling so far this campaign: eight teams in Serie A have amassed fewer than one point per game on average, with Cremonese sitting four points from safety ahead of facing Udinese this weekend.

However, there is little doubt that their winless run needs to come to an end sooner rather than later if they are to stand a realistic chance of surviving an instant return to Serie B.

Udinese, meanwhile, suffered only their second league defeat of the season at the hands of Torino last weekend, with Andrea Sottil's side losing 2-1 at Stadio Friuli.

Former Watford winger Gerard Deulofeu had levelled the proceedings after Ola Aina's 14th-minute strike, but Pietro Pellegri struck with 21 minutes of normal time remaining to hand his side a crucial victory.

Sottil, who took over as head coach during the summer, is still helping I Bianconeri perform significantly above expectations, though, with them riding high in a lofty position in sixth in the table ahead of their trip to Lombardy this weekend.

However, their dreams of winning Coppa Italia for the first time in their history were shattered by Monza in a 3-2 defeat to them last week, so the 48-year-old will be desperate to see his team return to winning ways against Cremonese.

Cremonese Serie A form:

D

L

D

L

D

L

Cremonese form (all competitions):

L

D

L

D

W

L

Udinese Serie A form:

W

W

W

D

D

L

Udinese form (all competitions):

W

W

D

D

L

L

Team News

Cremonese will remain without Ionut Radu and Vlad Chiriches due to long-term injuries, but Alvini otherwise appears to have a clean bill of health at his disposal.

He may be tempted to make some changes after their disappointing defeat against Sampdoria last time out, with Scotland international Jack Hendry potentially in line for a recall to the starting XI.

Udinese, meanwhile, will travel without Rodrigo Becao and Adam Masina due to hamstring and knee injuries respectively.

Likewise, Sottil may look to freshen things up after a poor run of form in recent weeks, with Tolgay Arslan potentially considered to add some steel to the midfield.

Cremonese possible starting lineup:

Carnesecchi; Hendry, Bianchetti, Lochoshvili; Sernicola, Pickel, Ascacibar, Meite, Valeri; Dessers, Okereke

Udinese possible starting lineup:

Silvestri; Perez, Bijol, Ebosse; Samardzic, Pereyra, Walace, Arslan, Udogie; Isaac, Deulofeu

We say: Cremonese 0-2 Udinese

We expect Udinese to return to winning ways against Cremonese, who appear to be somewhat out of their depth at this level.

The visitors may have punched above their weight during the early weeks of the campaign with their recent dip in form almost inevitable to have occurred at some stage, but they should have enough quality to beat their struggling opposition.

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