Udinese suffered their first defeat in four matches following their 1-0 defeat to Cremonese at the Bluenergy Stadium, Soccernet.ng reports.
Super Eagles goalkeeper Maduka Okoye was in action for the full game and despite his efforts, could not prevent his side from slipping to defeat. Meanwhile, compatriot Kingsley Ehizibue was absent as Udinese recorded their 15th Serie A loss of the season, leaving them in mid-table with just one match remaining.
Udinese vs Cremonese: What happened?
Udinese came into the fixture in good form, following a 2-0 win over Cagliari as they continued their push for a top-10 finish for the first time since the 2012-13 season.
Cremonese, however, are in the relegation zone and entered the clash hoping for a favourable result to preserve their top-flight status after only earning promotion last season.
It took less than 10 minutes for the visitors to go ahead through former Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy. Super Eagles goalkeeper Maduka Okoye initially saved the first attempt, but Vardy reacted quickest to slot home the rebound despite the goalkeeper’s efforts.
Udinese were later awarded a penalty in the 25th minute, but the decision was overturned after a VAR review on the pitchside monitor.
In the second half, Udinese pushed for an equalizer but struggled to break down a well-organized Cremonese defence. Hassane Kamara was also shown a red card for the home side, although it was later downgraded to a yellow after another VAR review in the clash.
The match ended 1-0 in favour of Cremonese, a result that boosts their survival hopes, while Udinese will look to bounce back in their final game of the season.
Super Eagles players ratings: Okoye in action, Ehizibue absent for Udinese
Nigerian defender Kingsley Ehizibue was unavailable for selection after picking up his fifth booking of the season in the 2-0 win over Cagliari, which triggered an automatic suspension.
Meanwhile, goalkeeper Maduka Okoye, who had been nominated for Serie A Player of the Month for April and was also named Udinese Player of the Month, played the full 90 minutes in the defeat to Cremonese.
Despite making three saves, he was unable to keep a clean sheet as his side fell to their first defeat in four matches. He also completed 100% of his passes, made three recoveries and finished with a match rating of 6.8 according to SofaScore.
Udinese will now travel to the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium to face Napoli in their final league game of the season, as they aim to end the campaign on a positive note and secure a top-half finish.
