Udinese vs Como Prediction & Betting Tips (22 August)

Udinese Calcio will host Como 1907 at the Bluenergy Stadium on Saturday, 22 August 2026, in what marks the opening fixture of the 2026/2027 Serie A campaign for both sides. The Friulani enter the new season under head coach Kosta Runjaic after finishing 10th last term, while Como arrive with elevated expectations following a remarkable fourth-place finish and Champions League qualification under Cesc Fabregas. For the 2026/2027 season, Udinese have reshaped their squad with summer acquisitions including Unai Gomez, Idrissa Gueye, and Mergim Vojvoda, who ironically joins from Como, though they lost Arthur Atta and Thomas Kristensen. The visitors have reinforced their ambitious project with signings such as Trevoh Chalobah, Kaiki, and Yan Couto, adding depth to a squad already boasting the attacking talents of Nico Paz, Martin Baturina, and last season's 14-goal top scorer Anastasios Douvikas.

Udinese's preparations for the new campaign have shown mixed results. Their final competitive outing before this opener saw them edge Padova 1-0 in the Coppa Italia, building on an unusual pre-season where they defeated both Nottingham Forest and Barcelona in shortened 45-minute matches. However, looking back at their closing fixtures from the previous Serie A season, the Bianconeri suffered a narrow 1:0 defeat away to Napoli on 24 May 2026, and also fell to a 0:1 home loss against Cremonese on 17 May. Despite these setbacks, Udinese have proven difficult to break down at the Bluenergy Stadium, where they remain unbeaten against Como in their last 12 meetings across all competitions.

Como, meanwhile, have established themselves as one of Serie A's most compelling stories since returning to the top flight. The Lariani concluded the 2025/26 season with 71 points, keeping a league-high 19 clean sheets, and have since added further quality to a squad that will compete on multiple fronts including the Champions League. Their pre-season form has been somewhat inconsistent, but their final league matches from last term demonstrated their potency, including a dominant 1:4 victory away at Cremonese on 24 May and a hard-fought 1:0 home win over Parma on 17 May. With Fabregas expected to deploy a lineup featuring Butez, Couto, Chalobah, Ramon, and Valle in defence, supported by the creative midfield trio of Perrone, Da Cunha, and Paz, Como will look to control possession and frustrate the hosts.

From a betting perspective, the European odds reflect Como's status as favourites for this encounter, with the away win priced at 1.80, the draw at 3.50, and a home victory for Udinese offered at 4.20. Additional markets show under 2.5 goals at 1.66, while both teams to score is set at 2.00. Given Udinese's solid defensive record in pre-season—conceding none in their last three friendly matches—and Como's historically low-scoring head-to-head record against the Friulani, this fixture has all the hallmarks of a tightly contested affair. Taking into account the tactical discipline of both managers, the early-season caution typical of opening weekend fixtures, and the historical trend that only one of the four previous meetings between these sides saw both teams score, our prediction for this match is a goalless 0:0 d