Udinese secured a remarkable comeback victory to go to the top of the Serie A table following a 3-2 victory away at Parma in the penultimate game of the fourth round of 2024-25 fixtures.
Both Fabio Pecchia and Kosta Runjaić opted to make a handful of changes each following a long international break, with Del Prato coming in to replace Emmanuele Valeri at full-back for Parma.
It took just shy of two minutes of action for that call to pay off. Bonny and Karlstrom fought well to earn a corner, which was delivered straight onto Del Parto’s boot on the edge of the six-yard box for the opening goal of the game.
Parma’s lead was doubled four minutes before half-time. Dennis Man squeezed a neat pass into Bonny on the edge of the area, who took a fantastic touch before improvising a toe-poke finish that snuck in off the right post.
The two goals were the only registered shots on target during the opening 45 minutes.
Udinese came out fired up for the second half and always looked likely to get a foot back in the game. Again, it was just a matter of minutes after kick-off when the goal went in.
Hassane Kamara’s perfectly placed cross was met gratefully by the head of the man in form, Lorenzo Lucca, who left Leandro Chichizola with no chance of keeping his effort out.
Keinan Davis came on to replace Lucca shortly after his goal, and was very unfortunate not to have one for himself.
The Englishman, like his predecessor, met an enticing cross and dispatched a powerful header destined for the far corner, only for Thauvin to stab it home on the goalline to claim the bragging rights for himself.
Parma were reduced to ten men for the second match in a row when Mandela Keita foolishly committed a foul on the edge of his own area when he was already on a booking. His evening lasted just 17 minutes, having come on as a second-half substitute.
It was the Kamara-Davis-Thauvin combination once again that led to Udinese’s winner. Kamara put in another great cross from the left, which Davis headed back across the face of goal. Ekklenkamp got the first touch to it, before Thauvin stabbed home the rebound.
With a 3-2 comeback victory in the bag, Udinese went down the tunnel at full-time as the Serie A leaders, an honour they will keep until next weekend, if not beyond.
Full-time: Parma 2-3 Udinese
Del Parto (Par) 2′, Bonny (Par) 43′, Lucca (Udi) 49′, Thauvin (Udi) 68′, 77′.
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