Thiago Motta hailed Juventus’ 2-0 triumph at Udinese as a real “team victory” as the Bianconeri snapped their three-match winless streak.

Following a Champions League defeat and two league draws, Juve moved up to third in the Serie A standings with a comfortable triumph at Bluenergy Stadium.

An own goal from goalkeeper Maduka Okoye and a strike from Nicolo Savona handed Juve victory, as they went unbeaten through their first 11 matches of a Serie A season for the first time since 2020-21.

"This is a team victory, because we interpreted the match in the best way," Juve coach Motta told DAZN. 

"In the first half, we could have played a bit more because Udinese allowed us to build from the back, the initial build-up.

"We moved the ball around and sometimes found some very interesting situations, but we lacked some depth at that moment, especially with our wingers

"Udinese have great confidence at the moment, we were good at compacting and playing."

Juventus next play at Lille in the Champions League on Tuesday before hosting cross-city rivals Torino in next Saturday's Turin derby.

"Today we have to enjoy this important victory for us and recover in view of Tuesday when the Champions League returns," Motta added.

"It will be very interesting to play against Lille. They have an extra day of recovery because they played yesterday, we will have to rest well to face this match well." 

Juventus ensured they returned to winning ways in Serie A after Maduka Okoye's own-goal and Nicolo Savona's strike earned them a 2-0 win over Udinese. 

After back-to-back draws against Inter and Parma along with their Champions League defeat to Stuttgart, Thiago Motta's side put on a dominant display away from home.

Juventus took the lead in the 19th minute when Khephren Thuram's effort struck the post, but fortuitously bounced off the back of Okoye and into his own net. 

Savona then doubled the visitors' advantage eight minutes before half-time, with the young Italian quickest to react to Kenan Yildiz's shot that rebounded off the post. 

Udinese did, however, improve after the break, and almost halved the deficit through Lorenzo Lucca, but his effort struck the crossbar in the 83rd minute. 

Juventus remain unbeaten in their first 11 Serie A matches this term, the first time they have reached this stage of the season without defeat since the 2020-21 campaign. 

Data Debrief: The Young Lady?

Juventus maintained their impressive record against Udinese away from home, earning their third away win in a row without conceding a goal. 

But they were helped by Savona, who is becoming a rising star at Juventus. The 21-year-old is the youngest Italian in the division to have scored at least twice this term.

Juventus are also the only team in Serie A this season to have more than one player born from 2003 onwards with two or more goals scored in the competition, in Savona (two goals, born in 2003) and Yildiz (two goals, 2005).

Juventus must improve all aspects of their performances if they are to challenge in Serie A this season, so says Thiago Motta.

Despite remaining unbeaten in the league, just two wins in their last eight games has left Juve in sixth place with 18 points, seven behind leaders Napoli.

On Saturday, Motta's side visit Udinese, who are seventh on 16 points, having suffered four losses in their last six matches.

Juve finished third last term, 23 points behind runaway champions Inter, and the season before they were seventh.

And asked about the growing gap between Juve and their title rivals, Motta said: "No club has won the Scudetto in November. We think about Udinese and we want to improve in all aspects, we must all do more, including myself.

"We have to do much better to stay high up in the standings, we are still at the beginning and it's clear that we have to do much better given the results.

"But if a team deserved more it was ours, I am not the only one saying this, you can see it in the data."

The data does not exactly support Motta's claims, however, given Juve have actually outperformed their expected goals, scoring 17 times from 15.2 xG, which is the seventh-highest total in Serie A.

Juve have been excellent defensively, conceding seven goals from 7.6 xG against, which is the lowest total in the league.

However, the Bianconeri have conceded six goals in their last two league matches, after a 2-2 stalemate with Parma and a thrilling 4-4 draw at Inter, but Motta said the issue lies not in defence alone but his side's overall coordination and decision-making.

"We must improve collectively, be united and help each other more. We must be aggressive and leave less space between the lines," he added.

"We must make the best decisions as a team. We can’t let the opponents feel comfortable on the pitch."

Juve have drawn 16 of their 30 league games in 2024 (W10 L4), a record in the top five European Leagues; only once have the Bianconeri recorded more draws in a single calendar year in their Serie A history (17 in 1956).

AC Milan head coach Paulo Fonseca praised his team's resilience in overcoming the challenge of playing a man down during Saturday's narrow home win against Udinese.

Milan won 1-0 in the Serie A clash at home after an early goal from Samuel Chukwueze, despite being reduced to 10 men following Tijjani Reijnders' red card at the half-hour mark.

"I must say that the game had two parts. The first one until minute 30 when we received a red card," Fonseca told DAZN.

"We played 30 minutes with great personality and quality. It was close to my idea. After the red card, it was a game made of team spirit.

"We suffered, but we suffered together. If there was any doubt on whether this team was united, today we proved we are."

Fonseca believed his side deserved the win, despite Udinese having two goals disallowed, one from Kingsley Ehizibue and another from Christian Kabasele following a tight offside call.

"It would have been unfair for the team. We had the best chances and it would have been unfair not to win this game. The team deserved these three points," he said.

The former Roma boss also praised midfielder Christian Pulisic for his effort, including an assist and his defensive work, after Reijnders got sent off.

"Christian's game was fantastic. This is the spirit that we must always have," he said.

For Udinese manager Kosta Runjaic, the defeat was a bitterly disappointing affair as his side failed to take the opportunity of their numerical advantage.

"I'm not a referee. I am the coach. It’s senseless to say anything," Runjaic said about the two disallowed goals.

"Even with a man up, it was not easy against a team that defended deep. We needed patience, good passing rhythm and circulation and a bit of luck.

"Surely I don’t like the result because it was possible to go home with a draw." 

Ten-man Milan held on to secure a 1-0 home win over Udinese thanks to Samuel Chukwueze's early goal.

Chukwueze struck low into the corner from a Christian Pulisic assist in the 13th minute of Saturday's Serie A contest at San Siro.

Yet the challenge of holding onto that lead was made much tougher when midfielder Tijjani Reijnders was sent off.

Netherlands international Reijnders received his marching orders in the 29th minute after colliding with Sandi Lovric, who was through on goal.

Milan are third in the league standings with 14 points, equal with Inter Milan in second and two behind leaders Napoli.

Udinese pushed to exploit their numerical advantage in the second half and they found the net through Christian Kabasele deep into stoppage time.

However, after a lengthy VAR check, the goal was disallowed for offside, ensuring the win for Milan.

Data Debrief: Captain America

Milan star Pulisic is the only player to have scored 10+ goals (17) and provided 10+ assists (11) from the beginning of last season in Serie A.

In fact, only Chelsea's Cole Palmer (44 – 28G, 16A) has been directly involved in more goals than Pulisic (28 – 17G, 11A) of midfielders in the big five European Leagues from the beginning of 2023-24.

Milan had to do it the hard way following Reijnders' dismissal. Only Bologna (54) have received more red cards than Milan in the last 10 Serie A campaigns (53).

AC Milan boss Paulo Fonseca has had two weeks to stew on his team's latest defeat, and he will never refrain from criticising a player due to their name or status.

Milan were beaten 2-1 by Fiorentina before the international break, a defeat that came on the back of losing 1-0 to Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League.

It was the manner of their defeat in Florence, where Theo Hernandez and Tammy Abraham were both denied by David de Gea from the penalty spot, which left Fonseca furious.

Fonseca slated his players for disobeying orders after the game, pointing out that Christian Pulisic was the designated penalty taker, while he was also furious to see Hernandez sent off for dissent late on. 

Speaking ahead of Saturday's meeting with Udinese, Fonseca told reporters: "I was so angry after Florence that it was good not to have seen anyone.

"We had few players in those training sessions, then all the internationals arrived yesterday. We talked about the match against Fiorentina and today we spoke about Udinese.

"I know that there has been a lot of talk about Florence, for me it was very important to talk about it."

Fonseca is already under pressure, with his side sixth in the Serie A table, five points off leaders Napoli. Milan have also lost both of their Champions League games, and their coach intends to tackle any issues head on.

"I don't close my eyes to problems. We have them, let's face them," Fonseca said.

"If we have any problems, I don't give a damn about the player's name. I talk to him. Frontally, directly, with the team or with the players.

"For me, no player is more important than the team. Those who make mistakes must take responsibility. If someone doesn't follow this team spirit, it's difficult for me."

Fonseca was then asked if he had already lost control of the dressing room, responding: "I don't have to demonstrate anything, I'm not an actor.

"In football today there is a great need to be seen, I'm not like that, since day one. Ask the players, if I have been this way from the start or not."

Simone Inzaghi believes a hangover from Inter's derby defeat to Milan ultimately impacted his team's display against Udinese.

Lautaro Martinez scored twice as Inter held on for a nervy 3-2 win over Udinese on Saturday.

Davide Frattesi put Inter in front after 43 seconds but Christian Kabasele levelled in the 35th minute before Martinez scored either side of half-time, with Lorenzo Lucca setting up a grandstand finish.

The victory came six days on from reigning Serie A champions Inter losing 2-1 to their city rivals in dramatic fashion at San Serie.

"We came across a healthy team, who got 10 points and were undefeated at home," Inzaghi said.

"However, we always kept control of the match, it's a shame about the ending where you know there can always be a negative episode."

"The two goals are two goals that we should have avoided.

"Our opponents are very dangerous when they show up in the area. We should have done better as a team in both goals, Lucca flew towards our goal with a two-goal advantage, we will have to work better when not in possession.

"[But] it had been almost two years since we lost a derby and it had been two years since we prepared for a match with such difficulties because losing a derby is not like losing a normal match."

Inter did at least snap a run of three games without a win in all competitions, with Martinez grabbing his first Serie A goals since May in the process.

"In the derby he had a good game where he got used to exploiting the chances he had," Inzaghi said.

"[A scoring drought] happens, we were all waiting for his goals. The fact that he has returned to scoring is important for everyone."

Striker Lautaro Martinez scored a goal in each half to help climb to third place in Serie A, following a 3-2 victory away to Udinese on Saturday.

The victory ended a three-game winless run in all competitions for Inter and ensured they got back to winning ways at the first opportunity following their 2-1 defeat in the Milan derby last weekend.

Udinese, meanwhile, are fifth in Serie A, with this defeat their second on the spin in the league after losing at Roma.

Davide Frattesi put Inter a goal ahead after just 43 seconds in Udine, converting Matteo Darmian's low cross to score the earliest goal in a Serie A match since 27 May 2023, but that was cancelled out by Christian Kabasele's 35th-minute header.

Last season's Serie A top scorer Martinez restored the visitors' advantage in stoppage time at the end of the first half before the Argenitne made it 3-1 just after half-time.

Lorenzo Lucca pulled one back for Udinese on 83 minutes to make it a nervy ending for Inter, yet it was the visitors who came closest to bagging again with Mehdi Taremi seeing a stoppage-time goal ruled out. 

Data Debrief: Inter get going on the road

This was Inter's first away victory of the season in all competitions.

It was, in turn, also Udinese's second defeat of the campaign and the second straight match in which they have conceded three goals. Udinese have now shipped 10 league goals, with just two teams in the division having let in more.

Martinez, meanwhile, netted at least two goals in an away league match for the 10th time for Inter. Since his debut in Serie A in the 2018-19 season, no other player has scored at least twice in a single match on the road in Serie A on as many occasions as him.

Alexis Sanchez has signed a two-year deal to return to Udinese after leaving Inter as a free agent.

Sanchez's contract with the Serie A champions expired in July, and he has chosen to return to Udinese 13 years after leaving.

He initially joined I Bianconeri in 2006 but spent two seasons on loan back in South America before establishing himself in the first team.

The 35-year-old made 112 appearances in his first spell at Udinese, netting 21 goals and registering 20 assists.

He has since played for Barcelona, Arsenal and Manchester United, winning nine trophies along the way, including LaLiga, Serie A and the Club World Cup.

Sanchez could make his first start in their Serie A opener against Bologna next Sunday. 

Napoli coach Francesco Calzona is determined to see the Partenopei finish the season on a high despite their European hopes being further hit by Monday's 1-1 draw with struggling Udinese. 

Victor Osimhen nodded home to give Napoli the lead in the 51st minute before Udinese forward Isaac Success bundled in the leveller in stoppage time.

The result – which came on the same ground where Napoli clinched the Scudetto last season – leaves them nine points adrift of Atalanta and Roma, who sit fifth and sixth in Serie A respectively, with just nine to play for.

"Clearly I thought we could do better, without a doubt. Unfortunately that wasn't the case," Calzona told DAZN.

"We have to ask the management about the future of Napoli, it's clear that we have the qualities to do better. 

"It was a disappointing and unfortunate year, but we absolutely must finish this championship on a high note."

Napoli had 50 points halfway through their Scudetto-winning 2022-23 campaign but have just 51 after 35 games this term, with their ambitions now limited to a Europa League spot.

Calzona says European qualification remains crucial as Napoli look ahead to 2024-25, adding: "Naples is a great place, perhaps after a year like this there will be many rumours circulating.

"But it is not a justification, I repeated that there is still a possibility of reaching Europe.

"We have improved a little, but it's not enough. We have to do more to win these games. We have also created, the team continues to have good possession, but at times it is sterile.

"But we have to be more incisive. In the second half we did it but we have to avoid the end of the game where it gets dirty".

Napoli next host fourth-placed Bologna on Saturday before they travel to Fiorentina, who are one point behind them in ninth and still have a game in hand.

Napoli were held to a 1-1 draw at relegation-battling Udinese in Serie A on Monday after a stoppage-time goal by forward Isaac Success cancelled out a Victor Osimhen header.

Osimhen nodded home to give Napoli the lead in the 51st minute after Matteo Politano sent a lofted cross from the right into the middle of the box, and the Nigerian striker headed the ball in off the left post.

The Nigerian thought he doubled their advantage in the 80th minute, but his effort was ruled out for offside, before Success bundled in the leveller in stoppage time, netting from a Thomas Kristensen header.

Napoli moved up to eighth on 51 points from 35 games and are nine points behind both fifth-placed Atalanta and Roma, in sixth.

Data Debrief:

Osimhen is the third Napoli player to score in six matches in a row against a single team in Serie A in the three-points-for-a-win era, after Gonzalo Higuain against Lazio between 2013 and 2016 and Dries Mertens against Bologna between 2016 and 2019.

Despite fighting back to earn a point, Udinese have now failed to win three games under a new manager for the first time since August-September 2010 under Francesco Guidolin.

Sunday’s Serie A clash between Udinese and Roma was abandoned after Ivory Coast international Evan Ndicka collapsed on the pitch.

The 24-year-old Roma defender went down off the ball with 72 minutes played at the Bluenergy Stadium and was carried off on a stretcher after treatment.

His club later confirmed that the former Auxerre and Eintracht Frankfurt player was conscious and had been taken to hospital for checks.

A statement on Roma’s official X – formerly Twitter – account read: “Following the on-field medical emergency involving Evan Ndicka, the match between Udinese and Roma has been suspended.

“The player is conscious and has been taken to hospital for further checks. Forza Evan, we are all with you!”

Udinese tweeted simply: “We are with you, Ndicka.”

Roberto Pereyra had given the home side the lead before the break, but Romelu Lukaku made it 1-1 with 64 minutes gone.

Inter Milan can take another huge step towards sealing the Serie A title when they face Udinese on Monday.

Simone Inzaghi’s side watched nearest rivals AC Milan cruise to victory over Lecce on Saturday to secure a fifth straight win.

But Inter have not blinked in the title race and can restore their 14-point lead by securing a 25th game unbeaten.

They appear set to have to do so without two of their key defenders, with the club’s player of the month Alessandro Bastoni and fellow centre-back Stefan de Vrij repoertedly set to miss out through injury.

Udinese are just two points above the relegation zone and manager Gabriele Cioffi is under no illusion as to how difficult a task they face against the runaway league leaders.

“(I expect) 200 per cent from the players, because it is the only way to leave the field with the points we need to move away from the lower areas of the table,” Cioffi said at his pre-match press conference.

“(We knew) this would be a difficult season, although we always hope to win every match 3-0.

“I believe that these types of challenges are the beauty of working as a coach. Points must be won by everyone: by the players, by the staff and by the club.”

Former Aston Villa striker Keinan Davis is sidelined while Lorenzo Lucca is suspended.

Lautaro Giannetti dealt Juventus’ Serie A title hopes a potentially fatal blow as he grabbed the only goal of the game to earn a stunning 1-0 win for struggling Udinese.

The visitors made the most of a sluggish performance from Massimiliano Allegri’s men, who still trail leaders Inter Milan by seven points having played a game more.

Arkadiusz Milik was guilty of wasting most of the home side’s good chances as Udinese held firm for only their second win in 13 Serie A games which moves them three points clear of the relegation zone.

Looking to bounce back from last week’s loss to Inter, Juventus looked unlikely to be duly troubled in a strong start which saw Andrea Cambiaso and Federico Chiesa come close.

Udinese goalkeeper Maduka Okoye was busy early on, saving well from Milik’s close-range header then denying Federico Gatti who should have done better from the edge of the box.

The visitors grabbed the lead against the run of play in the 25th minute when Giannetti bundled home the loose ball after a free-kick was flicked on by Thomas Kristensen deep into the home box.

Milik failed to reach a cross-shot from Cambiaso that caused panic in the Udinese box and it was clear the home side were once again missing striker Dusan Vlahovic, who was ruled out with a groin strain.

Milik headed straight at Okoye and it could have got worse for Juventus on the stroke of half-time when Sandi Lovric fired a speculative effort over from just outside the box.

Allegri’s men hardly improved after the break as they huffed forward for little reward, although they did briefly think they had levelled on the hour mark.

A corner was headed back for Milik to nod home but celebrations were cut short as the referee ruled the ball had drifted out of play in the course of the initial set-piece.

Chiesa rammed a 72nd-minute effort over the bar while Kenan Yildiz was inches from connecting with Cambiaso’s left-wing cross in front of goal as Udinese managed to hold on for a famous win.

Four individuals who racially abused AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan during a Serie A match at the weekend have been given five-year stadium bans by Italian police.

AC Milan players briefly left the pitch during their match away to Udinese on January 20 after alerting referee Fabio Maresca to the abuse being directed at their goalkeeper.

On Wednesday, the office of Udine police commissioner Alfredo D’Agostino announced that four people had been identified using security cameras from the stadium.

“There are four people, three men and one woman, aged between 32 and 45, against whom the police commissioner of Udine has issued banning orders for the duration of five years,” a statement said.

A five-year ban is the maximum penalty that can be handed to first-time offenders for racist abuse at football matches in Italy.

Udinese announced on Monday that one fan had been banned for life over the incident, and the club had said that any other offenders who were identified would face the same penalty.

On Tuesday, the club were ordered to play one match behind closed doors by Serie A’s sports judge, Gerardo Mastrandrea.

That judgement said the one-match stadium closure was the minimum sanction which could have been imposed, and was chosen to reflect Udinese’s active stance and willingness right from the start to identify those responsible.

Speaking after the game, which restarted after a delay of around 10 minutes, Maignan told Milan TV: “I heard them making monkey noises.

“After it happened a second time, I went to the dugout to inform them of what had happened behind the goal.

“This shouldn’t exist in the world of football, but unfortunately for many years this is a recurrence. We all have to react, we must do something because you can’t play like this.”