Hellas Verona will host Genoa on Sunday as they continue their bid for Serie A survival. Verona climbed off the foot of the table with their first win this year. Genoa are also looking to move closer to safety after a big win of their own.
Verona’s Fight for Serie A Survival
Verona were in a bleak position during their recent match against Bologna. However, a leveller from Martin Frese and Kieron Bowie’s first Serie A goal led them to victory. The win moved them above Pisa into 19th place.
Despite the victory, Verona still face a tough challenge to avoid Serie B. They are currently seven points shy of safety with 10 games remaining. Interim head coach Paolo Sammarco has claimed four points from five matches.
Verona will be looking to post back-to-back wins for only the second time this season. However, their home record has been poor, with one victory, four draws and eight defeats. Precedent suggests they should at least claim a point, having lost just three of 17 Serie A home games against Genoa.
Genoa’s Improvement Under De Rossi
Genoa have won three of the last five meetings with Verona, including a 2-1 victory in the reverse fixture. Daniele De Rossi has made an impact since becoming head coach. Since his arrival, Genoa would sit 10th in the Serie A standings with 24 points from 18 matches, a significant improvement from their previous position in the relegation zone with just six points from the first 10 matches.
De Rossi recently masterminded a 2-1 win over his beloved Roma. Vitinha’s late goal secured the victory. This strong home form has helped Genoa move six points clear of the drop zone.
Team News and Expected Lineups
Paolo Sammarco is expected to stick with the same starting XI that lined up in Bologna. However, Verona has a long absence list to deal with. Suat Serdar, Antoine Bernede, Tobias Slotsager and Armel Bella-Kotchap are all injured, while Pol Lirola and Sandi Lovric remain major doubts.
Bowie and Gift Orban are expected to join forces up front, although Amin Sarr is also in contention.
Genoa Aim to Improve Away Form
Safety is far from guaranteed for Genoa, with Fiorentina and Lecce both improving. Only Atalanta have a greater negative difference between their home and away records. Addressing that issue will be De Rossi’s next aim, starting on Sunday.
- Verona are 19th in the league.
- Genoa are six points clear of the drop zone.
- Genoa won the reverse fixture 2-1.
Verona are looking to secure back-to-back wins for only the second time this season.