We have all the pre-match preamble you need as Roma travel to Udinese on Sunday (kick-off: 20:45 CEST) looking to continue setting the early Serie A pace...

UDINESE

League position: 8th
Head coach: Andrea Sottil
Serie A top scorer: Beto (two)

RECENT FORM

UDINESE: W L D W W
ROMA: - W W D W

The hosts have collected back-to-back wins after following up their victory over Monza last weekend by beating Fiorentina 1-0 in midweek.

It leaves them with seven points from their first four league matches of Sottil’s tenure and victory over the Giallorossi would pull Udinese level with their Matchday 5 visitors.

Just Atalanta match Roma’s 10-point output thus far, with Jose Mourinho’s side still unbeaten thanks to the 3-0 win over Monza on Tuesday night.

New arrival Mady Camara will be hoping to make his debut for the club at the Dacia Arena, while Andrea Belotti is pushing for a first start having made his Roma bow against Monza.

Possible Udinese line-up

(3-5-2)

Silvestri; Perez, Bijol, Becao; Pereyra, Makengo, Lovric, Walace, Udogie; Beto, Deulofeu

LAST MEETING

DANGER MAN
Beto

The 24-year-old hit the winner in midweek and now has two goals from his last two appearances.

It marks a solid start to the season for the Portuguese striker, who struck 11 times in 28 appearances last term before making his move to Udinese permanent in the summer.

He brings a physical presence that dovetails nicely with the guile of strike-partner Gerard Deulofeu in what is an old-fashioned little-and-large front-two.

Beto will be hoping to continue his fine form against Roma - a club he is yet to score against from two previous attempts.

MATCH STATS

Roma are unbeaten in 17 of their last 19 Serie A games against Udinese (W15, D2), and have kept 10 clean sheets in that time.

Not only that, the Giallorossi have won 21 of their 48 away games (W21, D12, L15) against the Friulani in Italy’s top-flight and they have only won more times on their travels in the league against Lazio (25).

In each of the last four seasons in which they earned 10+ points from their first four Serie A matches, Roma ended the campaign second: 2003-04, 2007-08, 2013-14 and 2014-15.

Roma have conceded just one goal so far in the league, which equals their best defensive return in the club’s history at this stage of a campaign.

PLAYER STATS

• Beto has scored in each of his last two Serie A games, and is looking to find the back of the net in three successive top-flight matches for only the second time of his career.
  
• Paulo Dybala has netted more Serie A goals (10) and provided more assists (seven) against Udinese than any other opponent in the top-flight.
  
• Meanwhile, Belotti counts seven goals against Udinese and has been directly involved in five goals (three goals, two assists) in his last four league outings against the Friuliani.
  
• Francesco Totti is this fixture’s top-scorer with 16 goals. Next in line are Pedro Waldemar Manfredini and Antonio Di Natale (both 11).

WHAT THEY SAID

"I've always said that this team has great physicality and technique in its DNA. Today the opponents had great quality, but when we recover the ball we’re devastating. Playing this type of football must be constant.”

- Sottil after claiming three points from Fiorentina