Runjaic's Injury Woes as Lazio Defeat Udinese 2-1

Udinese had Lazio where they wanted them. Ahead, at home, with the crowd finally roaring after a tight first half. Then the injuries hit, and the game slipped away.

Kosta Runjaic watched his side’s 2-1 defeat unravel under the weight of two first‑half setbacks, as Jakub Piotrowski and Oumar Solet both limped off before the break at the Stadio Friuli.

Those changes didn’t just hurt the starting XI. They wrecked his entire match plan.

Udinese struck first shortly after the interval, Jesper Karlstrom finishing to give the hosts a deserved lead and a surge of belief. For a brief spell, Lazio looked rattled. The Friuli crowd sensed a statement win.

The response from Gennaro Gattuso’s side was ruthless.

Davide Frattesi dragged Lazio level, seizing control of midfield and swinging the momentum back towards the visitors. Albert Gudmundsson then completed the turnaround, his goal sealing a comeback that felt increasingly inevitable as Udinese’s legs and options faded.

Runjaic admitted the damage was done long before Gudmundsson’s winner.

“We lost Piotrowski and Solet and we paid a heavy price for those two changes, as we lost two substitution slots, so I had doubts,” he told DAZN, via TuttoMercatoWeb.

The early double switch left Udinese with less flexibility and fewer solutions as the match opened up.

Lazio, stocked with fresh signings and experience, grew stronger. Udinese, stretched and patched up, struggled to keep the ball or control the rhythm.

“Lazio played well, they are a strong team and they have bought strong players. They started as favourites. We could have taken a point, but they certainly deserved to score at least one goal,” Runjaic admitted.

On the pitch, the story was clear. Frattesi, pictured battling with Enzo Ebosse in Udine, drove Lazio forward, while Udinese’s attacks grew more isolated and predictable.

Davis decision underlines thin Udinese options

As the second half wore on and both teams tired, Runjaic made another big call: withdrawing Keinan Davis. With Udinese chasing the game, it looked a bold – even risky – move from the outside. For the coach, it was the opposite.

“Both teams were tired, but we have to respect their qualities and we weren't able to have the possession we wanted. I didn't want to risk Davis and the changes in the first half affected us,” he explained.

The comment cut to the heart of Udinese’s problem. They do not have a like-for-like replacement for the striker. When Davis went off, so did a focal point, and with two substitutions already burned on injuries, the bench offered little in the way of attacking variety.

Runjaic did not hide from that reality. He pointed out that summer signing James Abankwah is still learning the league and not yet ready to shoulder a bigger role.

“Abankwah still has to adapt to the pace of Serie A and, in terms of the changes, Lazio were superior,” he said.

On a night when every substitution felt decisive, Lazio had depth and answers. Udinese had doubts, injuries and regrets. The question now is how long those absences – and this missed opportunity – will shape their early-season path.