Udinese host Cremonese in Serie A on Sunday evening with the home side carrying the sharper form and the clearer momentum into round 37. Kick-off at the Dacia Arena comes at a stage of the season where every result shapes the final picture, even if the stakes are now more about finishing strongly than chasing a title race.
Cremonese, meanwhile, arrive needing a response after a difficult run that has left them searching for consistency. With injuries adding to the challenge, this feels like a fixture where the contrast in confidence and structure may matter as much as the points on offer.
Look at our Data and Stats for Udinese vs Cremonese
Why it matters
For Udinese, this is a chance to underline the progress shown in recent weeks and turn a strong spell into a convincing end to the campaign. Wins over Cagliari, Torino and AC Milan, plus a draw away to Lazio, suggest a side that has found a more reliable balance between control and threat.
Cremonese are in a different place, with their recent results pointing to a team struggling to keep matches tight against stronger opposition. A positive home win over Pisa offered brief relief, but defeats to Lazio, Napoli and Cagliari have left them needing a steadier performance to avoid another setback.
Form picture
Udinese’s recent league form is the more encouraging of the two. They have won three of their last five, kept clean sheets in three of those matches and shown they can handle both home and away assignments, including an impressive 3-0 win at AC Milan.
That run also includes a 3-3 draw at Lazio, which showed they are not only defending well but also carrying enough attacking punch to stay in games when the tempo rises. The only real blemish was the home loss to Parma, but that now looks more like an exception than a trend.
Cremonese’s form is less convincing and more uneven. Their 3-0 win over Pisa was a useful lift, yet it sits alongside a sequence of defeats and a goalless draw with Torino, suggesting a side that has struggled to turn competitive spells into sustained results.
The away numbers are especially concerning, with a heavy loss at Napoli and a narrow defeat at Cagliari underlining the difficulty they have had in controlling matches on the road. Even at home, the loss to Lazio showed how quickly they can be pushed back when opponents raise the intensity.
Key storyline
The main storyline is Udinese’s ability to impose a more settled shape against a Cremonese side that has had to change systems and personnel. Udinese have recently alternated between a 3-4-3 and a 3-4-2-1, but both versions have offered width, energy and a clear route into the final third.
Cremonese have also shifted between a 4-4-2 and a 3-4-3, which points to a team still searching for the right balance. With injuries affecting key options, their challenge will be to stay compact without surrendering too much territory, especially against a home side in better rhythm.
Team news
Udinese are expected to be without Kingsley Ehizibue through suspension, which removes one of the more familiar midfield options from their recent line-ups. That should force at least one change, although the overall structure is likely to remain close to the 3-4-3 shape used in recent matches.
The likely front line remains Adam Buksa, Arthur Atta and Nicolò Zaniolo, with Maduka Okoye behind a back three of Branimir Mlacic, Oumar Solet and Thomas Kristensen. In midfield, Hassane Kamara, Jakub Piotrowski and Jesper Karlström are all in line to keep their places, with the final slot less certain.
Cremonese have more injury concerns to manage, with Federico Baschirotto, Martín Payero and Romano Floriani Mussolini all unavailable. That limits their flexibility, particularly in the middle of the pitch and in defensive cover, and may encourage a more cautious approach from the outset.
Emil Audero is expected to continue in goal, with Filippo Terracciano, Giuseppe Pezzella, Matteo Bianchetti and Sebastiano Luperto likely to form the defensive base. Up front, Federico Bonazzoli and Jamie Vardy look set to lead the line again, giving Cremonese a direct pairing if they can find a way to supply them.
Tactical battle
The key battle is likely to be whether Cremonese can stop Udinese from building momentum down the flanks and into the spaces behind their midfield line. Udinese’s recent shape has allowed them to move quickly from defence into attack, and that could stretch a visiting side already missing important bodies.
If Cremonese sit deep, the game may become one of patience for the hosts, but if they step out too aggressively they risk opening the sort of gaps Udinese have been exploiting in their better performances. The first goal may shape the whole contest.
Recent meetings
The recent head-to-head record is fairly balanced, but Udinese have the more convincing win in the sequence, beating Cremonese 3-0 in April 2023 after a 1-1 draw in October 2025 and a goalless meeting in 2022.
Reporter’s view
This has the feel of a match where form and squad availability point in the same direction. Udinese look more settled, more confident and more capable of controlling the key phases, while Cremonese arrive with enough absences to make a difficult task even harder.
Unless Cremonese can keep the game narrow for long periods, Udinese should have the edge in both territory and chances. The home side’s recent clean sheets and stronger attacking output suggest they are better placed to finish the season with another composed performance.
Prediction
Udinese are likely to edge a controlled home win, with their stronger form and greater stability proving decisive against an injury-hit Cremonese side.
