Udinese edged past Padova 1-0 in the Coppa Italia Round of 64 on Friday evening, with K. Davis finding the net in the 35th minute to secure the victory. The home side controlled much of the second half after their visitors showed more attacking intent early on, though their possession never translated into clear opportunities.
And here's the thing about this one — Padova had the ball more, 53 per cent to be precise, but Udinese were the ones creating something meaningful. Two big chances against zero for the visitors tells its own story. The goal came from open play, Davis finishing a move that had built through the midfield before the half-hour mark.
By then the match had settled into a pattern you see often in cup ties. Padova pushed forward with crosses — 21 of them compared to Udinese's 11 — but only managed 9 successful ones. The visitors finished with zero shots on target all game, which is harder to swallow when you've had the majority of possession.
Udinese made their changes methodically. K. Lasagna came on at the break, and the double substitution around the hour mark brought in N. Zaniolo, C. Pastina and M. Pompetti. K. Davis was replaced in the 62nd minute after his goal, and Adam Buksa picked up a yellow card in the 73rd minute as the visitors tried to find an equaliser.
The statistics don't lie, even if the narrative might suggest otherwise. Udinese registered 109 attacks to Padova's 84, and their expected goals figure of 0.57 sat ahead of the visitors' 0.46. Both sides won 14 aerial duels, which tells you something about how physical this contest became in the final third.
For Udinese, this victory extends a difficult run of results. They've won just two of their last five matches, including a narrow 1-0 victory over Nottingham Forest on 8th August. The cup offers a chance to reset, and that single goal may yet prove to be the margin that matters most.