With room for error reduced to the bare minimum for either side, Hellas Verona and Juventus square off in a high-stakes Serie A match-up on Saturday. Whoever takes three points at Marc’Antonio Bentegodi would overcome a rough patch, though familiar foes seek a positive result for opposite reasons.
Verona’s financial turmoil has significantly compromised their chances of extending a five-year stay in the Italian top flight. Marco Baroni’s side lost as many as 12 players during the winter transfer window, casting substantial doubt on their already faltering battle for survival.
However, Verona are seemingly unwilling to go under without a fight. Only the power of will and fighting spirit can spare Baroni’s depleted squad from bidding farewell to Serie A come May. And they’ve shown plenty of both in recent fixtures, racking up two points in their last three league outings.
Despite a spirited 0-0 draw at Monza last weekend, results elsewhere saw Verona slip into the bottom three. But with 17th-placed Sassuolo only one point away at the start of this round, they still have everything to play for in this match. As does Juventus, though it could be too little too late for Bianconeri after a 1-0 home loss to Udinese on Monday.
A disheartening performance in Massimiliano Allegri’s 405th game in charge of the record-time Italian champions ended in jeers from the stands of the Allianz Stadium. It couldn’t have gone any other way after Juventus failed to attempt a shot on target in the second half despite trailing by a goal to nil.
Now ten points adrift of table-topping Inter, Juventus can either bounce back from a dismal three-game winless league run (D1, L2) or wave goodbye to their faint Scudetto hopes.
Match Preview
Hellas Verona
Fan support is mandatory if Verona are to dig themselves out of trouble and get into the win column for the first time since beating Empoli 2-1 at home on January 13. Gialloblu’s four subsequent league results have fluctuated between draws and defeats (D2, L2). Worryingly for Baroni, both losses during that stretch came against top-half sides.
But it wasn’t a surprise, given Verona’s long-standing struggles against more esteemed opponents. Except for a shocking win against Roma in August 2023, they’ve gone winless in all 11 remaining Serie A clashes against teams from the upper half of the table this season (D3, L8). That run includes a heartbreaking 1-0 defeat to Juventus in the reverse fixture.
Juventus
Andrea Cambiaso’s 96th-minute winner in October inspired Juventus to a fourth consecutive top-flight win against Verona without conceding. Bianconeri’s telling defensive record against the Bentegodi outfit could be a difference-maker on Saturday, especially considering the visitors” well-documented scoring woes.
Juventus have drawn a blank in back-to-back league outings in the build-up to this trip, including a 1-0 loss to Inter in a top-table six-pointer on their last Serie A travel. But confidence stems from the fact Allegri’s men had won three consecutive away league matches before collapsing at Giuseppe Meazza.
It’s equally significant to mention that Dusan Vlahovic, the scorer of four of Juventus’ seven goals during that three-game sequence, is back to the fold after a minor injury setback.
Team News
Juan Manuel Cruz is the only definite absentee in the Verona camp. Tomas Suslov returns to the squad after serving a one-game ban against Monza, leaving Charlotte FC loanee Karol Swiderski as the only doubt. But the Polish forward should at least make the bench.
As for Juventus, Vlahovic’s recovery is a substantial boost. Yet the Serbian is more likely to start as a substitute, with Arkadiusz Milik the frontrunner to partner Federico Chiesa up front. Moise Kean, Mattia De Sciglio, and Mattia Perin are in the treatment room.
Gleison Bremer is unavailable after accumulating yellow cards, while Paul Pogba and Nicolo Fagioli are still suspended.
Hellas Verona vs Juventus Potential Lineups
Hellas Verona (4-2-3-1): Lorenzo Montipo; Jackson Tchatchoua, Giangiacomo Magnani, Pawel Dawidowicz, Juan Cabal; Ondrej Duda, Suat Serdar; Michael Folorunsho, Tomas Suslov, Darko Lazovic; Tijjani Noslin.
Juventus (3-5-2): Wojciech Szczesny; Federico Gatti, Daniele Rugani, Danilo; Andrea Cambiaso, Weston McKennie, Manuel Locatelli, Adrien Rabiot, Filip Kostic; Arkadiusz Milik, Federico Chiesa.
Hellas Verona vs Juventus Prediction
With both managers preferring a clean sheet over a goal fest, one goal could determine this encounter. Irrespective of Juventus’ recent downturn in form, we can see Allegri’s side claiming another trademark 1-0 win.
Prediction: Juventus Win
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