With the last international break of this season in the books, Serie A is back, and the BiancoBlu will face Udinese on the road in the 31st Matchday. The side led by coach Cesc Fàbregas, fresh from five consecutive Serie A victories, will take on Kosta Runjaic’s Udinese, who currently sit 11th in the table on 39 points (level with 10th-placed Sassuolo) and are coming off a 2–0 win away at Genoa, a notoriously difficult ground. Throughout the season, the Bianconeri have showcased their pragmatism by defeating top-tier teams such as Inter, Atalanta, Napoli, and Roma, proving they can handle any type of opponent while demonstrating excellent qualities on both the tactical and physical fronts. In the first-leg match on January 3, which ended 1-0 in Como’s favour, Udinese had already shown that they could be dangerous by exploiting their players’ physicality. Three months later, the two teams face off again in what has all the makings of a match with several interesting storylines.
Words from Cesc Fàbregas before Udinese-Como
“During the break we trained well and had the chance to recover our energy. The players returned with real hunger and desire to reach the best possible condition for this final stage of the season. I followed all the matches and I’m very pleased as everyone had the opportunity to get minutes. It’s always interesting to see how they adapt to different environments, coaches and tactical demands.
“We are a young club, rebuilding the Academy with a clear vision: to develop brave, technically strong players with characters from an early age, without fear of losing. Over time, the aim is to bring as many of these talents as possible into the first team, following a pathway we truly believe in.
“Udinese are a team on the rise, very physical and well organised in all phases of the game. We need to maintain a high level of precision and intensity, and that will depend mainly on us. To win, we must deliver a top-level performance.”
Udinese
Just as in the first leg, when the Bianconeri were missing a key player like Arthur Atta, Runjaic’s team will once again have to cope with a significant absence: the team’s top scorer, Keinan Davis. The English forward, who has scored 10 league goals (only Lautaro Martinez and Tasos Douvikas have managed to do better so far), will miss the match at Bluenergy Stadium due to suspension, forcing the Bianconeri coach to make a change up front.
The German coach’s traditional 3-5-2 formation has featured Nicolò Zaniolo playing alongside Keinan Davis this season, but with the striker out, it’s possible they’ll switch to a setup more akin to a 3-4-1-1, with Atta supporting Zaniolo and a more physical player in midfield to create even greater density in the central areas. Udinese is an extremely physical and athletic team; the defensive trio of Kristensen, Kabasele, and Solet stands out for their ability to dominate aerial play but also for providing the Bianconeri with options when building from the back against the opponent’s press. Crucial to this system is the role of the wing-backs, who, as has often been the case this season, could be Ehizibue and Kamara, both of whom possess great pace to assist the team both defensively and in quick transitions on the counterattack.
In addition to the aforementioned quality of Atta and Zaniolo, the contribution of Dutch midfielder Jurgen Ekkelenkamp should not be underestimated either; he has scored four league goals and is highly effective at starting from the wing before moving up to operate in the areas typically occupied by a classic number 10, even though a traditional number ten is not typically deployed in a 3-5-2 formation. Udinese is a team that can count on an excellent mix of quality and quantity, forming a combination that has caused problems for numerous teams this season.
Previous encounters
Como and Udinese have faced each other 37 times in Serie C, B, and A, with the overall record slightly in favour of the Friuliani: 14 wins for Udinese, 10 wins for Como, and 13 draws.
The most recent matchup took place in the first half of the season when, at the Sinigaglia, the BiancoBlu narrowly defeated their opponents thanks to a penalty kick by captain Da Cunha.
The last match at Bluenergy Stadium, however, ended 1-0 in favour of the Friuliani, who got ahead of the Lariani thanks to a goal by Brenner.
Match details
Date: Monday, April 6, 2026
Kick-off: 12:30 CEST
Stadium: Bluenergy Stadium
Referee: Maresca
Assistants: Ceccon - Belsanti
Where to watch
Italy: Dazn
Balkans: Arena Sport
USA: CBS, DAZN, FOX
Latin America: ESPN & Disney +
South Korea: SPOTV
Rest of the world: Check local listings.