Parma vs Udinese Calcio 28 October 2026 Prediction

Three Serie A rounds have been played since the international break, and Parma and Udinese have failed to earn a single point between them. Recent head-to-head results suggest Udinese have the better chance of ending their losing run. They are unbeaten in their last three visits to Stadio Ennio Tardini, with two wins and one draw.

The Managerial Change Has Not Worked

Carlos Cuesta left behind a team that lacked quality in the final third but could defend effectively. That is no longer the case. Under new manager Alberto Gilardino, Parma have placed more emphasis on attacking play, but it has not led to more goals. They have scored only once in their last three league matches. Their defensive record has also declined. They conceded three goals against both Inter (0-3) and Torino (0-3), followed by two against Lazio (1-2).

Parma sold three key players during the summer transfer window: Zion Suzuki, Alessandro Circati, and Mateo Pellegrino. The young replacements have yet to show they are ready for the demands of Serie A. The team is also missing key central midfielder Hans Nicolussi Caviglia, who operated as a deep-lying playmaker last season. The Juventus academy graduate was injured during the summer. Without him, Parma have circulated the ball too safely and struggled to progress into dangerous areas.

Runjaic's Job Is at Risk

Managerial changes are common in Serie A, and Kosta Runjaic, who joined Udinese in the summer of 2024, is now one of the league's longer-serving managers. However, his position is under threat after Udinese lost six consecutive league matches, despite facing teams such as Cagliari (0-1) and Lecce (0-3) during that run. Their attacking numbers have been especially poor. Udinese have scored only once in their last four competitive matches, while their expected goals total has not exceeded 0.74 xG in any of their last three games.

The visitors lack creative players who can provide consistent service following the departure of last season's key performer Arthur Atta. Nicolo Zaniolo was expected to take on a leading role, but the former Italy international has missed more time through injury than he has spent on the field this season. There are also personnel issues in defense. Veteran David Alaba has been ruled out for a month, while starting defender Oumar Solet has not fully recovered from injury and is unlikely to make the starting lineup.

Parma vs Udinese Predicted Lineup

Parma (3-5-2): Corvi, Drobnic, Troilo, D. Carlos, Delprato, Keita, Bernabe, Fabbian, Valeri, Romero, Lontani

Unavailable: Nicolussi Caviglia, Almqvist (both doubtful), Elphege (illness)

Manager: Alberto Gilardino

Udinese (3-4-2-1): Okoye, Abankwah, Kabasele, Palma, Vojvoda, Piotrowski, Karlstrom, Kamara, Chakvetadze, Ekkelenkamp, Davis

Unavailable: Gueye, Bayo, Alaba (all injured), Zanoli (doubtful)

Manager: Kosta Runjaic

Parma vs Udinese Prediction: Draw

Main prediction: Parma and Udinese both create far fewer dangerous chances than they allow, which explains their positions near the bottom of the table. The visitors have a slight edge in individual quality, but their lack of creativity will make it difficult to exploit Parma's defensive problems as effectively as Lazio, Torino, and Inter, three teams in much better form. Parma have also lost only one of their last three Serie A home matches. The home double chance is a reasonable option, but the main selection in this matchup between two out-of-form teams is a draw at odds of 3.20.

Goals prediction: Both teams have defensive issues, so each side could score. Parma have found the net in each of their last three matches at Stadio Ennio Tardini, while Udinese have scored in all three of their away games in the current league campaign. Both teams to score at odds of 1.92 is also worth considering.