Both battling against relegation, Serie A strugglers Hellas Verona and Parma will meet at Stadio Bentegodi on Monday.
While Hellas pulled further clear of danger with a crucial win before the international break, their visitors are still winless this month and sit closer to the drop zone.
Match preview
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Verona gave their hopes of securing safety a big boost just before international football intervened, as the Scaligeri stunned in-form Udinese thanks to a real moment of magic from Ondrej Duda.
In addition to finally scoring his club’s first direct free kick in Serie A for four seasons, Duda has proved a crucial figure in their survival fight so far: creating the most chances from set-pieces (11), while registering most completed passes in the opposition area (102) and inside the final third (215).
Hellas had previously lost four out of five while conceding goals at a rate of two per game, but despite holding the division’s worst defensive record by far, occasional victories have kept them at arm’s length from danger.
Now, they aim to win consecutive league matches for the first time in just over a year, as one of their relegation rivals pay a visit to the Bentegodi.
Sitting four points above Parma with nine games to play, a sixth straight home win over Monday’s opponents would not only take Paolo Zanetti‘s men over the 30-point mark but also deal a blow to their fellow Gialloblu.
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While Duda was Verona’s saviour in Udine, Parma turned to French striker Ange-Yoan Bonny for inspiration in their final fixture before the break.
Trailing by one goal away to rock-bottom Monza, the Emilian side were in danger of losing a crucial scrap between two members of Serie A’s bottom four, but Bonny’s beauty saved the day late on.
A wonderful solo effort, scored with just six minutes of regulation time remaining, rescued a point for Parma and moved them three clear of the drop zone.
New coach Cristian Chivu has lost just once in four matches so far, earning five points along the way – the same number the Crociati collected in their final 11 games under Fabio Pecchia.
Last season’s Serie B champions therefore have their destiny in their own hands as the run-in approaches, and history suggests they can achieve their aim of staying afloat in Italy’s top flight.
When Parma have accrued at least 25 points at this stage of a Serie A season in the 21st century, only once have they failed to avoid relegation – back in 2008.
Team News
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Verona boss Paolo Zanetti will be without injured quartet Martin Frese, Davide Faraoni, Oumar Niasse and Abdou Harroui on Monday evening, but Fiorentina loanee Nicolas Valentini returns after serving a one-match ban.
The latter could slot straight into the hosts’ back three, in Zanetti’s preferred 3-4-2-1 formation.
Facing a race against time to be passed fit, the Scaligeri’s top scorer Casper Tengstedt could be named on the bench, leaving Daniel Mosquera and Dailon Livramento to vie for selection alongside Amin Sarr up front.
Meanwhile, Parma can welcome Simon Sohm and Alessandro Vogliacco back from suspension, but Brazilian midfielder Hernani must now serve a one-match ban.
Adrian Benedyczak, Alessandro Circati, Gabriel Charpentier, Yordan Osorio and Valentin Mihaila are all sidelined, though Matteo Cancellieri has recovered from the injury that ruled him out of meeting Monza.
As ex-Verona striker Milan Djuric is struggling with a knee problem, Mateo Pellegrino and Ange-Yoan Bonny should battle it out to lead a three-man attack.
Hellas Verona possible starting lineup:
Montipo; Dawidowicz, Coppola, Valentini; Tchatchoua, Serdar, Duda, Bradaric; Suslov, Mosquera; Sarr
Parma possible starting lineup:
Suzuki; Del Prato, Vogliacco, Valenti, Valeri; Keita, Bernabe, Sohm; Man, Bonny, Cancellieri
We say: Hellas Verona 1-1 Parma
Parma have won just once on the road this season, but they should score at least once past Verona’s paper-thin defence.
That could prove enough to pick up a vital point, keeping their heads above water while also helping Hellas to inch towards Serie A safety.
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