Zaniolo and Davis seal Udinese victory at Ennio Tardini
Key Takeaways
- Udinese climbed to ninth with comfortable away victory
- Early Zaniolo strike and Davis penalty secured three points
- Parma's red card proved decisive in second half
Players in this Match
Zaniolo and Davis seal Udinese victory at Ennio Tardini
Ninth-placed Udinese secured a convincing 2-0 victory over struggling Parma at the Ennio Tardini, moving the visitors to 18 points while leaving the hosts rooted in 16th place with just 11 points from 13 matches.
Nicolò Zaniolo gave Udinese the perfect start in the 11th minute, firing a left-footed shot from the right side of the box into the bottom right corner after being assisted by Nicolò Bertola. The visitors doubled their advantage in the 65th minute when Keinan Davis converted a penalty with a left-footed shot to the top left corner, after Mariano Troilo had been sent off for a foul in the penalty area following a VAR review.
The match statistics reflected a closely contested affair, with Parma edging possession 50.7% to 49.3%, though Udinese proved more clinical with five shots on target compared to the hosts' two. Parma goalkeeper Edoardo Corvi made several crucial saves, including denying Davis from close range in the 60th minute and stopping Adam Buksa's effort in the 75th minute.
Parma dominated the early exchanges but failed to capitalize on their territorial advantage before Zaniolo's opener changed the complexion of the match. The hosts pushed forward desperately in the final stages, with Nahuel Estévez coming close in the 81st minute when his effort from six yards narrowly missed the target, but Udinese's defensive discipline and Troilo's dismissal effectively ended any hopes of a comeback.
The victory lifts Udinese further away from the relegation zone with their fifth win of the campaign, while Parma remain dangerously close to the bottom three with just two victories from their opening 13 fixtures.