Hellas Verona will be hoping to continue their recent mini-revival when they travel to the Stadio Friuli to take on Udinese in Serie A on Sunday.
Although they remain rooted to the bottom of the table, the Gialloblu have now lost just once in their last seven Serie A games and are seven points from safety with 12 games to play.
Last week saw Luigi Delneri’s side pick up a vital victory against local rivals Chievo in the Derby della Scala, which they won 3-1 thanks to goals from Luca Toni, Giampaolo Pazzini and Artur Ionita.
With 17th-placed Sampdoria on a desperate run of eight games without a win, Verona will be looking to gain more ground on the Blucerchiati with a win over Udinese, although they also have Carpi and Frosinone above them.
The home side are by no means safe from relegation themselves as they sit 15th having been beaten and overtaken by Genoa last Sunday, and are just four points above Frosinone who are 18th.
Like Sampdoria, the Zebrette haven’t picked up a victory in eight Serie A games with their last win coming on January 6 over Atalanta, who they narrowly beat 2-1 courtesy of Cyril Thereau and Stipe Perica.
The hosts’ lack of goals appears to be their main hindrance as they have managed just 22 so far this season, the fewest in Serie A, and have scored just five during their winless streak.
When the sides met in October at the Stadio Marc’Antonio Bentegodi, the game finished 1-1 thanks to a Pazzini penalty and a late Thereau equaliser.
Historically it’s also a case of honours even as from 13 previous meetings, both sides have won four times and five matches have ended as a draw.
In team news, Emil Hallfredsson is suspended for the home side and so will be unavailable to face his former club, while Stefano Colantuono also has an injury list that includes Alexander Merkel, Molla Wague, Maurizio Domizzi and Giovanni Pasquale.
Meanwhile the visitors will be without Greek defender Vangelis Moras who is suspended after being sent off in last week’s derby, while Federico Viviani and Samuel Souprayen are injured.
Form Guide: Udinese (D-D-D-L-L) Hellas Verona (D-W-D-L-W)
Expected Starting XIs:
Udinese: Karnezis; Felipe, Danilo, Heurteaux; Armero, Kuzmanovic, Lodi, Badu, Edenilson; Thereau, Zapata
Hellas Verona: Gollini; Albertazzi, Helander, Bianchetti, Pisano; Rebic, Ionita, Marrone, Wszolek; Toni, Pazzini
