Match Report

Match report: Udinese V AS Roma 2nd February 2026

On 3 February 2026 by Gillyowl

Udinese 1 – 0 AS Roma

 

Roma were left frustrated in Udine as a single slice of misfortune condemned them to a narrow 1-0 defeat, with Udinese riding their luck to secure back-to-back Serie A wins for the first time since September.

Despite Udinese’s recent struggles at home, Roma started cautiously but quickly found their rhythm after weathering some early pressure. Mile Svilar was alert to deny Arthur Atta, while Oumar Solet somehow failed to convert from point-blank range — a let-off that should have been punished later. Roma gradually imposed themselves on the match, with Donyell Malen going close from 12 yards only to be denied by an excellent save from Maduka Okoye. As the first half wore on, Roma’s composure and defensive solidity — the best away record in Europe’s top five leagues coming into the round — became increasingly evident, even if clear chances were limited. Matías Soulé came closest before the break, curling a dangerous free-kick just over.

The decisive moment came in cruel fashion early in the second half. Ekkelenkamp’s speculative free-kick from distance took a heavy deflection off Malen in the wall, wrong-footing Svilar and drifting into the corner — an unfortunate goal that completely changed the complexion of the contest.

From there, Udinese retreated and Roma dominated possession, pushing forward in search of an equaliser. Soulé fired over from the edge of the box, while Malen saw a powerful effort heroically blocked as Roma struggled to find a way through a packed defence. For all their pressure, Udinese’s goal led a charmed life, with substitute Idrissa Gueye even threatening against the run of play, only for Svilar to keep Roma alive.

Roma thought they had salvaged a deserved late equaliser through Bryan Cristante, but celebrations were cut short as the goal was ruled out for offside. It summed up a night where little went Roma’s way, as Udinese clung on to snap a long run of head-to-head defeats, leaving the Giallorossi to rue missed chances and a deflected goal that ultimately decided a match they did not deserve to lose.

I’m not usually one to criticise the referee or VAR, but this match was incredibly hard to accept. Udinese players went in with a series of aggressive, borderline violent tackles that somehow went completely unpunished, while Roma were repeatedly penalised for far less. On top of that, a clear penalty in Roma’s favour was ignored, leaving the feeling that every key decision went against us. By the final whistle, it genuinely felt like the game had been officiated with a bias, making an already frustrating result even more bitter to swallow.