Hellas Verona in the Derby Della Scala in Serie A on Saturday night at the Stadio Bentegodi, with more than just local pride at stake after contrasting starts to the new campaign for both sides.
The Flying Donkeys sit in seventh place on eleven points in the standings after last weekends 1-1 draw away to Sassuolo after round six of the season, only four off joint leaders Fiorentina and Inter at the top of the table, and could see themselves in the Champions League spots with a victory on Saturday evening.
Meanwhile cross town rivals Verona have failed to register a win this season, and last weekend’s 2-1 home defeat to Lazio was the Gialloblu’s third of the season and sees them sit in the relegation zone in 18th position, with three points after six games, and they have also struggled for goals so far this campaign, only finding the net on five occasions this term to date.
Last seasons fixtures between the two rivals were close affairs, with the Chievo winning the first encounter “away” in December 1-0, thanks to a late Alberto Paloschi goal nine minutes from time, while the return game in May turned out to be a fairly explosive encounter which ended in a 2-2 draw. All four goals came in the first half, with Paloschi again on the score sheet to give the Flying Donkeys the lead but Verona struck back with two quick goals from Juanito Gomez and Luca Toni, only for Sergio Pellissier to level things from the spot just before half time.
The sides have only met on six previous occasions in the top flight of Italian football, with Chievo slightly holding the upper hand in the fixture, with three wins to Verona’s two, with last seasons draw being the first between the teams in Serie A.
Rolando Maran’s men head in the game with virtually a full strength squad to pick from, with defender Dario Dainelli a doubt with a muscle problem and on-loan sighing Paul-Jose M’Poku definitely ruled out with a fractured cheekbone.
Verona, meanwhile, have a number of key players missing including strikers Luca Toni and Giampaolo Pazzini, with the former ruled out until December after sustaining a collateral ligament injury, while defender Rafael Marquez and midfielder Romulo will also miss Saturday nights fixture through injury.
Form Guide: Chievo (W-W-D-L-W-D), Hellas Verona (D-L-D-D-L-L)
Expected Starting XIs
Chievo: Bizzarri; Frey, Gamberini, Cesar, Gobbi; Castro, Rigoni, Hetemaj; Birsa; Paloschi, Meggiorini.
Hellas Verona: Rafael; Pisano, Moras, Bianchetti, Souprayen; Sala, Viviani, Hallfredsson; Gomez, Greco, Jankovic.
Infographic source: wwwsporticos.com
