Pre-match

Luca Gotti handed Jean-Victor Makengo his first Serie A start, while Fernando Llorente continued up front instead of Stefano Okaka. Jens Stryger Larsen played on the left with all the other options there unavailable. Cesare Prandelli benched Sofyan Amrabat in favor of Valentin Eysseric (!) and handed Kévin Malcuit his first Fiorentina start. Franck Ribery returned to the XI as well.

Also of note was Udinese trialing a new wearable card that chirps when its wearer gets too close to someone in an effort to safely bring fans back to the stands. The punchlines just write themselves sometimes.

First half

It was so, so, so, so very bad.

Second half

Udinese were pressing and finally broke through when Rodrigo de Paul looped in a deep cross for Ilija Nestorovski, who was curiously unmarked behind Nikola Milenković and headed it down past a helpless Bartłomiej Drągowski.

Full time

Goals: Nestorovski 86’ (ass. de Paul)

Cards: Llorente 73’; Martínez Quarta 63’, Kokorin 90’+2

What’s next

Udinese leap to 12th place with 28 points, leaving Fiorentina still on 25, even on points and goal difference with Spezia but leading on head-to-head (which could prove crucial) and in sole possession of 15th place. With an upcoming run of AS Roma, Parma, at Benevento, and AC Milan, it’s not too hard to imagine the Viola sliding even farther down the standings, sort of like a turd down a wall.