Preview: Hellas Verona vs Udinese – Team News, Lineups & Prediction

1 week ago 9

Serie A survival is on the line as Hellas Verona and Udinese lock horns in a relegation-six pointer at Stadio Marc’Antonio Bentegodi. The stakes are high for both sides ahead of Saturday evening’s kick-off, with a single point separating them from the bottom three.

Verona went above and beyond to claim a point against the odds on Monday. Marco Baroni’s side hauled back a two-goal deficit at halftime to hold a more heavily fancied Atalanta to a spirited 2-2 draw at the Gewiss Stadium. While they were glad to leave Bergamo undefeated, they can’t settle for another stalemate in this fixture.

A four-game winless run in Serie A (D2, L2) keeps Verona flirting with the drop zone amid a severe financial crisis that would probably derail their chances of a swift top-flight comeback should they suffer relegation. Keen to avoid such a fate, Baroni knows the significance of taking three points on home turf against direct competitors.

Udinese fought valiantly to enter the final ten minutes of last weekend’s home clash against Roma all square. Gabriele Cioffi’s men were seemingly on the verge of sharing the spoils for a record-extending 17th time this Serie A campaign before Evan Ndicka’s collapse on the field forced the referee to halt proceedings at the Bluenergy Stadium.

The upcoming trip to Bentegodi stirs painful memories as they’ve failed to get on the scoresheet on three of their last four visits to this venue. Since Verona hasn’t been a happy hunting ground for Udinese in recent years, it wouldn’t be surprising if Cioffi’s troops live up to their tag as ‘stalemate specialists.’

Match Preview

Hellas Verona

For months, Verona’s home fortress had stood firm, with rock-bottom Salernitana the only side to walk away from Bentegodi with all three points across eight league games spanning between late November and mid-March (W3, D4). That also remains Gialloblu’s only top-flight home defeat at the hands of sides starting this round 13th or worse (W3, D2).

However, Milan and Genoa have breached Verona’s stronghold in the last two matches. Lapses of concentration toward halftime saw Verona concede inside the final five minutes of the first half on both occasions. Given the circumstances, the hosts can ill-afford more slip-ups of this kind if they’re to stay afloat.

Conceding the opener belongs to this category. Verona have only claimed two points when their opponents drew first blood at Bentegodi this season (D2, L5), highlighting the importance of a quick-fire start.

Udinese

Udinese’s propensity for drawing their Serie A contests has become notorious. As many as 51% of their top-flight assignments in 2023/24 have ended level (16/31). That perhaps summarizes their apathetic season, although a point at this point must look appealing to under-fire Cioffi.

Two defeats across their last three league outings (D1) have ramped up the pressure on the Italian manager. But Udinese have strayed away from this trend on their recent travels. Before a 1-1 draw at Sassuolo on their last Serie A road trip, they have alternated between winning and losing in their four previous away league matches (W2, L2).

A lack of defensive solidity has been a sticking point. Perhaps surprisingly, Udinese’s only Serie A clean sheets outside Udine since the start of November have come in stunning wins against Juventus and Milan (W3, D3, L4).

Team News

Verona will be without first-team stalwart Ondrej Duda and long-term absentee Juan Manuel Cruz. On the bright side, Suat Serdar returns to the fold after serving a one-game ban against Atalanta.

As for Udinese, Florian Thauvin and Sandi Lovric recently joined Keinan Davis, Enzo Ebosse, and Gerard Deulofeu in the treatment room. Thauvin’s absence means Roberto Pereyra will probably play behind top-scorer Lorenzo Lucca up front.

Hellas Verona vs Udinese Potential Lineups

Hellas Verona (4-2-3-1): Lorenzo Montipo; Fabien Centonze, Giangiacomo Magnani, Pawel Dawidowicz, Juan Cabal; Dani Silva, Suat Serdar; Noslin, Michael Folorunsho, Darko Lazovic; Federico Bonazzoli.

Udinese (3-5-1-1): Maduka Okoye; Thomas Kristensen, Jaka Bijol, Nehuen Perez; Kingsley Ehizibue, Martin Payero, Walace, Lazar Samardzic, Hassane Kamara; Roberto Pereyra; Lorenzo Lucca.

Hellas Verona vs Udinese Prediction

Taking the lead wouldn’t necessarily propel Udinese to a much-needed win. Cioffi’s men have dropped a league-high 22 points from winning positions this season. But if Verona can break the deadlock, that could change the dynamics, though we’d stick with a draw as the likeliest outcome.

Prediction: Draw