Udinese claimed back-to-back Serie A victories for the first time since September as Jurgen Ekkelenkamp’s deflected free-kick secured a hard-fought 1-0 win over fifth-placed Roma at the Dacia Arena.

Having managed just one victory in their previous six home league matches, Udinese started with intent and put the visitors under early pressure. Arthur Atta tested Mile Svilar with a low drive, while Oumar Solet missed a golden opportunity from close range after Ekkelenkamp’s initial effort was pushed away.

Roma were fortunate to remain level and gradually found their rhythm as the first half wore on. Donyell Malen came close from inside the penalty area, but Maduka Okoye produced a sharp save to deny him. Despite arriving with one of the strongest away defensive records in Europe’s top five leagues, Gian Piero Gasperini’s side struggled to create clear chances, with Matías Soulé’s free-kick narrowly clearing the crossbar.

The hosts made the perfect start to the second half when Ekkelenkamp’s long-range free-kick deflected off Malen in the wall and flew into the far corner, leaving Svilar helpless.

Having opened the scoring, Udinese focused on maintaining their defensive discipline. With just one dropped point in eight matches when scoring first this season, they looked comfortable protecting their lead. Roma continued to search for an equaliser, but Soulé fired wide from the edge of the box and Malen saw another effort blocked by Thomas Thiesson Kristensen.

Despite dominating possession in the closing stages, Roma lacked the cutting edge needed to break through. Udinese nearly sealed the result late on when substitute Idrissa Gueye was denied by a fine save from Svilar.

The visitors thought they had salvaged a point when Bryan Cristante found the net in the final minutes, but his effort was ruled out for offside. Udinese held firm to secure three valuable points, ending a run of six consecutive defeats against Roma and extending their resurgence in Serie A.