Udinese won for the fourth successive Serie A fixture in Matchday 6 and they continue to find themselves sitting in the unlikely position of occupying one of the four Champions League qualification places, after striker Beto shot them past Sassuolo and became Serie A Player of the Week for Matchday 6.
The Zebrette travelled to the Mapei Stadium full of confidence, but fell behind to a Davide Frattesi goal on Sunday afternoon and needed a brace from the 24-year-old and a strike from fellow substitute Lazar Samardzic to triumph 3-1.
After conceding on 33 minutes, the Neroverdi had defender Ruan Tressoldi sent off just before half-time, but Udinese struggled to make a breakthrough until the Portuguese arrived from the bench on 68 minutes.
It took Beto just seven minutes to get on the scoresheet, volleying home a Roberto Pereyra cross past Sassuolo goalkeeper Andrea Consigli and turning the match in the visitors’ favour.
Once Samardzic had given the Zebrette the lead one minute into added time, it forced the hosts to chase the game, and the former Portimonense man was able to sprint on to a through-ball and despatch his second past Consigli with seconds remaining.
With that, Beto became the second Udinese player to score a Serie A double as a substitute since Oliver Bierhoff achieved the feat in May 1998. While it was also his second goal against Sassuolo.
