Sampdoria travel to Dacia Arena on Sunday, May 16, when they’ll clash with Udinese for the first time since January. As a match that holds no real value for either side, there is a chance we could see some lesser-known faces start, – but does that mean we are in for a slow and uninspiring game, or will these two Serie A sides keep the tradition going and produce a high-scoring affair?
Udinese vs Sampdoria
When: Sunday, May 16 – 15:00 CEST
Where: Dacia Arena in Udine, Italy
Weather: Light rain, 18°C
Referee: Matteo Gariglio
Neither team has much to fight this season. No matter what happens, Udinese and Sampdoria are going to finish somewhere in the middle of the Serie A table.
The highest position either team can finish is ninth, a spot currently occupied by Sampdoria. Ahead of today’s game, Udinese are in 12th.
However, this doesn’t mean we’re in for a boring game. On the contrary, if history has thought us anything is that Udinese vs Sampdoria bouts are usually high-scoring. We have seen over 2.5 goals in each of their previous four meetings.
Udinese Missing (At Least) Eight First-Team Players
Udinese are coming off a disappointing 1-5 defeat against Napoli, which marked their toughest loss of the season. Although it wasn’t like Udinese played terribly that day, the main factor that led to their 1-5 loss was team injuries.
That situation hasn’t bettered since, meaning Udinese will have at least eight players sidelined with an injury. This includes some of their key men such as midfielder Tolgay Arslan, who’s played 30 games this season. In the centre of the pitch, Udinese will also be without Mato Jajalo.
In the back, Udinese won’t be able to count on Sebastian De Maio and Bram Nuytinck. Their attack, however, is where Udinese have the worst injury problems – Gerard Deulofeu, Ilija Nestorovski, Ignacio Pussetto, and Jayden Braaf are all out.
Even though Udinese are weakened in the final third, I BIancoceri haven’t been too bad with their scoring. They have managed to score at least once in all of their previous four matches, and they seem set to keep that scoring streak alive today.
Sampdoria’s Great History Against Udinese
Sampdoria bested Udinese in all of their previous four head-to-head meetings. In fact, Udinese beat Sampdoria only five times in the last decade.
Sampdoria seem to have a good chance to keep that streak going, considering that they enter this bout with far fewer injury problems than the hosts. Adrien Silva and Morten Thorsby are the only players who are confirmed to sit out the match.
Omar Colley is doubtful, although he has been training with the team and could make an appearance.
If Sampdoria get a win this afternoon, they would be all but guaranteed to finish the season in ninth. Another incentive for them to win is that they will want to bounce back off a 1-5 loss against Inter who crushed them two rounds ago.
The good news is that they (sort of) bounced back in the following game when they played a 2-2 draw with Spezia.
Udinese vs Sampdoria Betting Picks
Even though Sampdoria are likely getting the win today, this is one of those games where anything can happen. After all, there’s not much for these teams to fight for, so their managers might decide to give some youngsters a chance to show what they got.
Because of this, we will avoid betting on the outcome. What we do like, however, is the over 2.5 goals bet. Both sides have been involved in high-scoring affairs of late and there have been at least three goals in all of their previous four meetings.
Prediction: Over 2.5 Goals
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