Sunshine Returns to Friuli as Udinese Revive Fairytale Start

“When it rains, it pours,” read the headline on Il Messaggero Veneto, Udine’s main newspaper, on Saturday.

The meaning was two-fold. From a meteorological standpoint, Friuli Venezia Giulia and Veneto were pounded by heavy rain this week, while Udinese suffered a battering of their own on the injury front.

Floriant Thauvin and Sandi Lovric joined an already extensive list of players sidelined ahead of Lecce’s visit to the Bluenergy Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

With Alexis Sanchez still to feature after his return to Friuli this summer, Damian Pizarro, Martin Payero and Thomas Kristensen all sidelined, the weather had taken a turn for the worse as far Udinese manager Kosta Runjaic was concerned.

Meteorological conditions improved for the visit of Lecce, the torrential rain finally making way for the last instalment of Friuli’s notoriously crispy autumns.

And while the sun over the Bluenergy Stadium remained timid for most of the afternoon, Jordan Zemura warmed up the spirits of those of a black and white persuasion.

With just under 15 minutes to play, the Zimbabwean international struck a superb free-kick to seal Udinese’s first win since mid-September.

It was a special effort, the kind of which was desperately needed to break open a game high on effort but low on quality.

Prior to Zemura’s finish, it had been left to the fans to create most of the entertainment.

Fully owned by the club and with modern facilities, the Bluenergy Stadium is a rare exception in calcio’s landscape, where crumbling old stadia are often inescapable. 

But the ground is also as far from the most intimidating arena you will find in Italy, so much so that the Udinese ultras don’t even have a whole end for themselves.

Please don’t take me home

But what they lack in space and numbers, they more than make up for in noise and to several tunes that will sound familiar to British ears, courtesy of the ubiquitousness of “Don’t Take me Home” and “Allez, Allez, Allez” at Premier League grounds over the past five years.

The Friulani, after all, are a notoriously proud bunch. The region is one of five granted autonomous status in Italy and one is never too far from a blue flag with the Friuli logo in Udine.

Nor at the Bluenergy Stadium, it seems, where the emblem was emblazoned in a giant black and white – Udinese’s colours – tifo flag that floated across one of the stands ahead of kick-off.

Decked all in black as if not to disrupt the dominant colour scheme of the day, Lecce fans in the away end did their bit for the atmosphere.

But if their reaction at full-time was anything to go by, it is fair to suggest they don’t feel the same about their players.

“Show some f*****g bollocks,” came the message as Lecce players walked sheepishly towards the away end. It was half-plea, half-order.

The win restores Udinese in the upper echelon of the Serie A table, with the Friulani trailing league leaders Napoli by just three points. Should results go their way, Runjaic’s men could still head into the international break in second place or, failing that, in the top four.

Either would be a remarkable achievement for a team that began the season looking over their shoulder, rather than above them.

Fifteenth in Serie A last season, the Zebrette leapt out of the blocks this term, winning three of their first four Serie A matches following a draw against Bologna on the opening day.

But losses against Roma and Inter Milan over the past two weeks checked their momentum, making the match against Lecce a must-win fixture.

The same could be said of the visitors, who started the weekend in the relegation zone, albeit only because of goal difference.

Defeat in Udine means Lecce will remain marooned in the bottom three at least until after the international break.

Why Lecce need goals and fast

While the gap to the safety of 17th place remains far from insurmountable, the Salentini have cause for concern.

Chief among them, the most goal-shy attack in Serie A.

Lecce have scored just three goals in seven matches so far, an unsustainable record for a side harbouring hopes of avoiding relegation for the third successive season.

Their paltry return upfront is not down to the want of trying. On Saturday, Lecce twice should have taken the lead in the first half.

Patrick Dorgu fired over the bar after a brilliant team move 13 minutes in, before Udinese goalkeeper Maduka Okoye denied Lassana Coulibaly a simple tap-in.

But as the chances went begging, air slowly began seeping out of the Giallorossi’s balloon. 

Udinese went close minutes later as Kinglsey Ehizibue’s header was parried onto the bar by Lecce keeper Wladimiro Falcone, before Zemura headed the rebound over from close range.

The Zebrette, in truth, should have been in front three minutes into the game when Christian Kabesele forced a smart stop from Falcone.

It was then Souza Brenner’s turn to fire a header wide, before the excellent Oier Zarraga saw his effort crash onto the post after taking a deflection off Lecce captain Federico Baschirotto. 

It was more of the same in the second half, until Yiber Ramadani needlessly gave away a free-kick and Zemura found the back of the net.

Whether Udinese can equal their third-place finish from the 2011-12 season, remains to be seen. But for now at least, the sun is shining again in Udine.