Fiorentina will travel to the Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi to face Hellas Verona on Sunday afternoon hoping to put their disappointing start to the Serie A season behind them.
The Viola top their Europa League group with 10 points from four matches, but currently sit 11th in Serie A with only three wins to their name all season.
Two straight defeats at the hands of high-flying Sampdoria and Napoli in their past two games have made Verona a key game for Vincenzo Montella’s men who need to begin picking up points fast if they are to keep pace with those competing for Champions League spots.
Sitting just one place and one point above Fiorentina are Hellas who after a promising start to the season have since faded and are without a win in their last five games, but did salvage a late point at Inter last time out.
Verona haven’t beaten Sunday’s visitors since October 2001, with Fiorentina having won all five clashes since then including a 5-3 victory in the corresponding fixture in April last season and a 4-3 victory at the Stadio Artemio Franchi last December.
The Viola though have struggled to find the net often enough so far this season, with Khouma Babacar the club’s leading scorer with just four goals, but may fancy a repeat of last season’s goal fests as Verona have the joint-third worst defence in Serie A having conceded 18 goals so far, only Empoli and Parma have leaked more.
At the other end Gialloblu’s top scorer is Fiorentina old boy Luca Toni, who has three goals to his name so far and will be hoping to add to his goal against his former club in last season’s fixture on Sunday.
The 37-year-old should lead the line at the Bentegodi but coach Andrea Mandorlini will again be without midfielder Jacopo Sala and defender Frederik Sorensen against the Viola.
Montella looks set to hand Mario Gomez a start up front in the continued absence of long-term absentees Giuseppe Rossi and Federico Bernardeschi, while captain Manuel Pasqual will be out for four weeks after suffering a muscle injury in Italy’s friendly with Albania on Tuesday.
Expected Starting XIs
Hellas Verona: Rafael, Martic, Marquez, Moras, Agostini, Ionita, Tachtsidis, Hallfredsson, Nico Lopez, Toni, Christodoulopoulos
Fiorentina: Neto, Tomovic, Gonzalo Rodriguez, Savic, Alonso, Matias Fernandez, Aquilani, Borja Valero, Cuadrado, Babacar, Gomez
