Udinese go into their Coppa Italia tie with Padova as the stronger side, but the more interesting question is how much Kosta Runjaic rotates and still keeps control. Udinese beat Nottingham Forest and Barcelona in 45-minute matches to win the Friuli Venezia Giulia Cup, and Nicolò Zaniolo was named Player of the Tournament. That gives them a decent level of momentum before Udinese vs Padova.
Udinese's quality edge
Udinese finished 10th in Serie A in 2025, and they also won three of their last five league matches. That is the baseline here: even if Runjaic trims minutes for some regulars, the squad should still carry enough top-flight quality to manage a lower-division opponent.
Zaniolo has not exactly arrived with fireworks, but his last five Serie A matches still produced an average rating of 6.86. He looks more like a steady contributor than a player carrying the attack on his own, which is part of why Udinese can afford to spread the workload around him.
Sports Mole's preview verdict also leans their way, with a 2-1 call for Udinese. That is a narrow margin, which feels right for a cup tie where rotation can flatten the favourite's edge if the tempo drops.
Padova's upset chance
Padova are not arriving with nothing. They have enough recent cup scar tissue to be a live threat, though, because they have lost in the Coppa Italia preliminary round four times in the past five years. Their route through this kind of tie has been messy too often, and that is the part Udinese should want to exploit early.
There is also a little extra spice in Padova's recent results, with ex-Udinese striker Kevin Lasagna scoring a brace in their 3-3 draw with Monza. If Padova do land a punch, it will probably come from that kind of direct, familiar threat rather than prolonged control.
The more likely outcome is still that Udinese's stronger core gets them through, even if Runjaic decides to use the opening cup tie to manage legs. The fixture is set for 15 August, and the team that handles rotation better should be the one still standing after it.
Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
