Swansea vs Udinese

With Udinese pushing for an equaliser in the closing stages, Swansea substitute Thomas Woodward saw a shot saved and then fired wide from another chance. But the decisive moment came in the 88th minute when Just collected the ball on the right flank, cut inside and drilled a left-footed strike past Udinese goalkeeper Emanuele Piana from the edge of the box — a debut goal to seal the result.

Opoku almost added a third in stoppage time, his angled strike from a Leo Walta pass clipping the far post.

Liam Cullen (Swansea) — Opened the scoring with a composed lob in the sixth minute and led the line well before being replaced at half-time. His pre-season form — he also scored against Holstein Kiel — suggests he will start the season as Matos's first-choice striker.

Elijah Just (Swansea) — The New Zealand international marked his debut with a goal and showed the direct running from wide areas that persuaded Swansea to sign him. A candidate for the club's player-of-the-match honours.

Ben Cabango (Swansea) — The captain made a last-ditch challenge to deny Udinese substitute David Pejicic after the forward broke through the Swans' backline, a moment that preserved the clean sheet before Just's clincher.

Player of the match: Elijah Just (Swansea).

Swansea's 2-0 scoreline flattered the control they exerted in the first half but not the overall balance of the game. The Swans dominated possession before the break without creating a high volume of chances — Cullen's goal came from a direct, opportunistic moment rather than sustained pressure. Udinese grew into the second half after Runjaic's 11-man change, generating a period of pressure around the hour mark that included a double shot from outside the box and a Davis header saved by Fisher. The clean sheet owed something to Cabango's last-ditch tackle and Just's late strike, which arrived against the run of the final 10 minutes.

Swansea finish their Austrian pre-season campaign with one win, one draw (2-2 vs Holstein Kiel) and one loss (vs VfL Bochum). They open their competitive season on 8 August in the EFL Cup, before beginning the Championship campaign away at Stoke City on 15 August.

Udinese — who drew 2-2 with Istra 1961 on 18 July in their first pre-season outing — next face Shabab Al-Ahli on 28 July in Neukirchen am Grossvenediger as they continue their build-up to the 2026-27 Serie A season.

A professional pre-season workout rather than a classic. Cullen's early goal gave Swansea control, and Just's debut strike provided a feel-good finish. Udinese will take more from the second-half period when Runjaic's reshuffled side asked questions of the Swansea defence. Pre-season fitness gaps — noted by Udinese's own assessment — were the most visible difference between the two sides.