Udine, Italy – Second-half goals from Antonio Di Natale and 0 win over Roma on Friday, lifting the home side to the top of the Serie A table.
The win is the third in four games for Udinese, which moves two points clear of both Juventus and Lazio, while Roma remains in fifth place having lost for the third time in five games.
Neither side was able to seize the initiative in the first half as chances were few and far between for both sides.
But Udinese finally cracked the scoreboard 12 minutes from time as Giampiero Pinzi's through ball found Di Natale inside the area, and after bringing the ball down with his head, he lashed a volley past goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg.
Roma continued to struggle in the final third and Udinese put the game away just before stoppage time when Pablo Armero dribbled into the area on the left and floated the ball across the face of goal to Isla, who easily finished off the play from a few yards.
Juventus and Lazio will square off at the Stadio Olimpico with the winner of the game taking back first place, while AC Milan hosts Chievo on Sunday with the Rossoneri bringing a six-game unbeaten streak into the match.
In other games on Saturday Napoli tries to snap a string of just one win in its last five league games when the club visits Atalanta, Lecce sits in 18th place and entertains a Catania side that has lost two straight, while Parma tries to build on its win over Udinese last time out with another victory over second-from-the-bottom Novara.
Inter Milan clinched the top spot in its Champions League group in midweek but sits only three points above the drop zone in Serie A. The Nerazzurri will visit Siena on Sunday, while bottom-half sides Cagliari and Bologna tangle at the Stadio San Elia.
Last-place Cesena claimed its first win of the season last weekend against Bologna and the club will host Genoa on Sunday, and Palermo will attempt to move into the top five with a win at home against Fiorentina.
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