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

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Skip to contentUDINE, ITALY – APRIL 18: Nesta Elphege of Parma scores his team’s first goal during the Serie A match between Udinese Calcio and Parma Calcio 1913 at Stadio Friuli on April 18, 2026 in Udine, Italy. (Photo by Timothy Rogers/Getty Images)

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)UDIPAR

Live0 – 1

Player statistic

UDI

PAR

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′

BySusy Campanale

Original Article