Udinese 0 : 0 Cagliari - Di Natale absence keenly felt by Udinese

Udinese failed to score for the second successive match as they were held to yet another 0-0 draw at the Stadio Friuli by Cagliari.

Just days after a goalless draw with PAOK Saloniki in the Europa League, the first game in which the club's top goalscorer Antonio Di Natale was missing due to injury, Francesco Guidolin's side failed to find the back of the net again and remain fourth in the Serie A table as a result.

The home side had the best chances, but poor finishing prevented them from getting a win which would have taken them above Lazio into third place.

Di Natale had scored in 11 of Udinese's 12 home games this season and his absence was most certainly felt as the Bianconeri drew another blank.

They did, however, have the best chances while the return to action of Paulo Barreto as a second-half substitute after over 18 months on the sidelines did at least give them something positive to take from the match.

Gelson Fernandes missed the first of two big chances for Udinese in the 38th minute when he headed wide from Gabriel Torje's cross.

Mauricio Pinilla's shot on the volley from 20 yards forced Samir Handanovic to make a great save and the Slovenian goalkeeper kept out Cagliari's only other attempt on goal all match, a speculative effort from Albin Ekdal on the stroke of half-time.

Michele Pazienza's shot was blocked on line by Alessandro Agostini midway through the second half with the Cagliari defender not knowing anything about it as the ball hit his face.

Antonio Floro Flores then missed Udinese's last big chance of the game with a header missing the far post by inches in the 71st minute.