Serie A | Udinese 0-1 Parma: Elphege can secure top flight status

Nesta Elphege’s debut Serie A goal has practically secured Parma’s Serie A status with a surprise victory away to Udinese.

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The Friulani confirmed their giant-killer reputation by beating Milan and holding Como, but lost Keinan Davis to injury along with Jordan Zemura and Alessandro Zanoli. Parma were winless in six, but held Lazio and Napoli to stalemates. Benja Cremaschi and Matija Frigan missed the trip, but Mateo Pellegrino returned from suspension. Lautaro Valenti picked up an injury in the warm-up, replaced by Abdoulaye Ndiaye.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

Alessandro Circati nodded a corner inches over the bar in the opening minutes for Parma, as Maduka Okoye was caught wrong-footed.

Nicolò Zaniolo went on the counter from a Parma corner only for Zion Suzuki to smother his pass at the feet of Jurgen Ekkelenkamp, while Hassane Kamara shinned a volley wide from a promising position.

Pellegrino went off at half-time after two accidental knocks to the head, and Ndiaye made a desperate interception to stop Ekkelenkamp tapping in the Arthur Atta roll across.

Substitute Nesta Elphege made an immediate impact by scoring his debut Serie A goal for Parma, gathering the Gabriel Strefezza assist with his back to goal, turning Christian Kabasele to burst into the box and fire past Okoye.

Moments later, Strefezza’s deflected shot was fingertipped over the bar, while Atta dribbled past two to test Suzuki at the near post.

Parma should’ve been 2-0 up on the hour mark, but Elphege seemed surprised that Okoye fumbled the Enrico Delprato low cross and only poked the rebound wide.

Udinese incredibly failed to equalise on 76 minutes at the end of a chaotic move. Oumar Solet dribbled into the box and his shot was charged down, so he stood up a cross for Idrissa Gueye’s header off the crossbar, and Zaniolo then nodded the rebound wide from four yards.

Thomas Kristensen was also forced off after a neck injury, while Gueye’s glancing header from a Jesper Karlstrom cross was smothered by Suzuki.

Zaniolo had a huge chance to score deep into stoppages, but the finish was off his weaker foot and allowed Suzuki to scramble across for a fingertip save.

Udinese 0-1 Parma

Elphege 51 (P)

18-04-2026 14:00

MatchDay 33

Friuli Stadium (Dacia Arena)

Udinese

Parma

0 - 1

Player statistic

2nd half

		51'		Nesta Elphege (Assist: Gabriel Strefezza)
Nicolò Zaniolo		71'
Jesper Karlström		85'

Match statistic

57

Possession %

43

16

Total shots

10

3

Shots on target

1

9

Shots off target

5

4

Blocked shots

4

10

Corners

5

2

Offsides

1

11

Fouls

8

Udinese

Parma

Starting lineups

40

Maduka Okoye

Goalkeeper

27

Christian Kabasele

Defender

11

Hassane Kamara

Defender

64'

19

Kingsley Ehizibue

Defender

73'

28

Oumar Solet

Defender

31

Thomas Kristensen

Defender

81'

14

Arthur Atta

Midfielder

24

Jakub Piotrowski

Midfielder

64'

8

Jesper Karlström

Midfielder

32

Jurgen Ekkelenkamp

Midfielder

73'

10

Nicolò Zaniolo

Midfielder

31

Zion Suzuki

Goalkeeper

39

Alessandro Circati

Defender

14

Emanuele Valeri

Defender

15

Enrico Delprato

Defender

5

Lautaro Valenti

Defender

37

Mariano Troilo

Defender

10

Adrián Bernabé

Midfielder

66'

41

Hans Nicolussi Caviglia

Midfielder

72'

16

Mandela Keita

Midfielder

7

Gabriel Strefezza

Attacker

66'

9

Mateo Pellegrino

Attacker

46'

Substitutes

93

Daniele Padelli

Goalkeeper

90

Răzvan Sava

Goalkeeper

15

Vakoun Bayo

Attacker

38

Lennon Miller

Midfielder

29

Abdoulaye Camara

Midfielder

7

Idrissa Gueye

Attacker

64'

20

Juan Arizala

Defender

64'

18

Adam Buksa

Attacker

73'

6

Oier Zarraga

Midfielder

73'

22

Branimir Mlacic

Defender

81'

29

Franco Carboni

Defender

66

Filippo Rinaldi

Goalkeeper

22

Oliver Sörensen

Midfielder

40

Edoardo Corvi

Goalkeeper

11

Pontus Almqvist

Attacker

21

Gaetano Oristanio

Midfielder

23

Nesta Elphege

Attacker

46'

17

Jacob Ondrejka

Attacker

66'

24

Christian Ordoñez

Midfielder

66'

8

Nahuel Estévez

Midfielder

72'

3

Abdoulaye Ndiaye

Defender

27

Sascha Britschgi

Defender

75'