Udinese celebrated their first victory of the 2024/25 Serie A season with a 2-1 win over Lazio, with Super Eagles goalkeeper Maduka Okoye playing a key role in the triumph.
Maduka Okoye, who recently extended his contract with Udinese, was in fine form between the sticks for the Italian side. Dele-Bashiru, also making his second Serie A start of the season, was in the starting lineup for Lazio.
The match kicked off at the Dacia Arena, and it wasn’t long before the home side took a surprise lead. Florian Thauvin delivered a precise cross from the right flank, allowing Lorenzo Lucca to head the ball into the net from close range, putting Udinese 1-0 up.
Despite Lazio’s efforts to exert pressure and create chances, they were unable to break down the Udinese defense or find the back of the net in the first half.
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The second half saw Udinese maintain their composure and control, which led to a second goal. Thauvin, again proving crucial, made a dazzling solo run into the box and fired a shot past Lazio’s goalkeeper Ivan Provedel into the bottom left corner, doubling Udinese’s lead.
Udinese’s task became more challenging when Hassane Kamara was shown a red card following a second yellow, reducing the home side to 10 men.
Lazio managed to pull one back in injury time when Gustav Isaksen latched onto a rebound inside the box and shot the ball low into the right post. However, it was not enough to overturn the deficit.
The match ended with Udinese claiming a 2-1 victory, marking their first Serie A win of the season. Maduka Okoye’s impressive performance was instrumental in securing the three points for Udinese, showcasing his valuable contribution to the team.
