Udinese 1-1 Lazio

Udinese halted a worrying run of defeats but could not claim all three Serie A points as Lazio held on for a point.

Gianni De Biasi's side went into the game having lost five of their last six games following their midweek defeat by Bari and got off to another miserable start as Sergio Floccari put Lazio ahead after 16 minutes.

But Antonio Di Natale's free-kick levelled matters 11 minutes later and neither side could find a winner in an absorbing, even game.

It looked bleak for Udinese went they went behind again - and De Biasi would have been asking questions of his defence.

Roberto Baronio took a free-kick from the left and Sergio Floccari climbed above Dusan Basta to head past Samir Handanovic.

Far from letting their heads drop, though, Udinese responded well, a long-distance right-foot shot from Gokhan Inler whistling narrowly past the right-hand post four minutes later.

And they were level after 27 minutes, Di Natale producing an excellent curling free-kick into the top left-hand corner of Fernando Muslera's goal.

Muslera did well to keep his side on level terms seven minutes before the break when the ball broke to Paolo Sammarco around the penalty spot and his shot was blocked by the Lazio keeper.

At the other end, Mauro Zarate sent another set-piece narrowly over the Udinese bar in first-half stoppage time.

Both sides continued to create good chances in the second period.

Seven minutes after the restart, Aleksandar Lukovic sent a dangerous cross into the Lazio penalty area and Antonio Floro Flores headed just wide.

After 69 minutes, a long-range snap shot by Aleksandar Kolarov forced Handanovic to concede a corner, which Lazio could not make the most of.

The game really opened up in the frenetic closing stages and both teams will feel they could have snatched it late on.

Three minutes from time Kolarov flirted with danger as his firm challenge on Alexis Sanchez inside the box could have conceded a penalty, but it was deemed fair.

At the other end, Stefano Mauri found himself unmarked in a good position two minutes later but hesitated when he should have shot and the chance was gone.

And in added time Guilherme Siqueira could have claimed all three points for Udinese but his weak shot from an excellent position allowed Muslera to make a great save.

It meant the two sides, who are separated by just a point in the Serie A table, had to share the spoils, leaving both perilously close to the relegation zone and looking over their shoulders.