Udinese suffered their first away defeat on Sunday to Sassuolo. Two early goals decided the match and the lads’ efforts in the second half unfortunately did not pay off.
Udinese opened the game with two chances from Nicolo Zaniolo and Thomas Kristensen but failed to convert them into goals.
Sassuolo took the lead around ten minutes in with a left-footed shot from Armand Lauriente, which was then followed by another goal by Ismael Kone.
Neither team created any more chances in the remainder of the first half despite Udinese having the majority of possession and two penalty decisions overturned by VAR.
The start of the second half saw Keinan Davis tap in to half the deficit. A double chance then came shortly after the 70th minute through Jurgen Ekkelenkamp and Zaniolo but Arijanet Muric was there to deny them both.
Sassuolo’s third goal came ten minutes before the end of the game.
The match ended 3-1 to the hosts, leaving Udinese on seven points and sitting provisionally in ninth place.
Sassuolo 3-1 Udinese
Scorers: Lauriente 8, Kone 12, Davis 55, Iannoni 81
Sassuolo (4-3-3): Muric; Walukiewicz (Coulibaly 80), Idzes, Muharemovic, Doig; Vranckx (Thorstvedt 58), Matic, Koné (Iannoni 79); Berardi (cap.), Pinamonti (Cheddira 86), Laurientè (Fadera 58).
Unused subs: Satalino, Turati, Candé, Volpato, Boloca, Skjellerup, Pieragnolo, Romagna, Moro, Lipani.
Coach: Grosso
Udinese (3-5-2): Sava; Palma (Ehizibue 46), Kristensen, Solet; Zanoli (Ekkelenkamp 67), Piotrowski (Miller 46), Karlstrom (cap.), Atta (Lovric 80), Zemura; Zaniolo (Gueye 76), Davis.
Unused subs: Venuti, Padelli, Goglichidze, Zarraga, Kamara, Bertola, Kabasele, Camara, Modesto.
Coach: Runjaic
Referee: Perenzoni
Assistants: Laudato, Fontani
Fourth official: Mucera
VAR: Gariglio
AVAR: Paterna
Booked: Piotrowski (U) 18, Zaniolo (U) 45+3, Ehizibue (U) 61