Two sides struggling at the wrong end of the Serie A standings meet at Stadio Bentegodi on Monday, as Hellas Verona host Salernitana.
While Hellas have lost just once since the winter break to revive hopes of survival, their visitors from down south are slipping closer to the drop zone week by week amid an awful spell of form.
Match preview
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While the threat of relegation still looms large in Verona, recent results have offered encouragement to those faithful fanatics of the Gialloblu who never stopped believing their team would turn things around.
Following a 1-1 draw with Lazio last week, when Cyril Ngonge's first Serie A strike earned a share of the spoils for the Scaligeri, in their last six league games they have won two and drawn three - lifting them to within four points of safety, with plenty of games to play between now and June.
Since the start of 2023, under new coach Marco Zaffaroni, Verona have conceded just four goals - having shipped an average of 1.9 goals per game in their previous 15 matches - and only league leaders Napoli have conceded fewer during that time.
Such an improvement at the back has helped them edge ever closer to 17th-placed Spezia, and before the visit of likely relegation rivals on Monday they have taken seven points from a possible nine in their last three home fixtures, after beating promoted pair Cremonese and Lecce during January.
Verona and Salernitana have met only three times before in Serie A - including October's reverse fixture - with Hellas yet to win once. Each encounter has seen three or more goals scored, and given their visitors' defensive deficiencies they can be confident of finding the net again and securing that elusive win.
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Having recorded a 2-1 victory in Salerno earlier this season - when Boulaye Dia snatched a stoppage-time winner at Stadio Arechi - Salernitana last lost to Verona in February 2019, down in Serie B.
However, the clubs' latest clash sees the Granata enduring their worst spell of the 2022-23 campaign, which has undermined a promising start to Davide Nicola's first full season in charge.
After returning from the winter break, the Salernitana took just one point from four matches - including an eight-goal mauling by Atalanta - but at least managed to record their first win of the year away to Lecce at the end of last month.
Always up against it when meeting a Juventus side with several points to prove last time out, though, they were unpicked by a Dusan Vlahovic double in Turin and ultimately suffered a chastening 3-0 defeat.
As a result, across the last eight Serie A matchdays Salernitana have lost the joint-most matches - six, level with relegation candidates Cremonese and Sampdoria - while conceding 22 goals in the process, six more than any other side.
While still sitting seven points clear of Verona in the relegation zone, the Campanian club certainly cannot afford to keep losing at their current rate - setting up Monday's game as something of a six-pointer.
Team News
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After both missed out on the draw with Lazio last week, Verona's Davide Faraoni and Pawel Dawidowicz could be available to Marco Zaffaroni on Monday.
Miguel Veloso (calf) and Milan Djuric (muscular) are both less likely to be involved for the hosts, while an ACL rupture ended Thomas Henry's season last month.
January signing Adolfo Gaich stands by to deputise for Djuric up front if required, though Cyril Ngonge will be hoping to keep his place having scored last time out. Just behind the strikers, Darko Lazovic has been involved in three goals and two assists in his last six appearances - since the start of 2023, that is more than any other Serie A midfielder.
Salernitana, meanwhile, are still missing Pasquale Mazzocchi (knee) and Federico Fazio (calf) due to injury, with fellow defender Norbert Gyomber also struggling with a muscular problem which could keep him sidelined.
Davide Nicola switched to a four-man defence after the 8-2 drubbing by Atalanta, and despite his side's defeat to Juventus last week could persist with such a setup at the Bentegodi.
Up front, Krzysztof Piatek has scored in all three of his league games versus Verona - each with a different club: Milan, Fiorentina, and then Salernitana last October. However, the Polish striker faces stiff competition from Federico Bonazzoli to occupy the visitors' centre-forward spot.
Hellas Verona possible starting lineup:
Montipo; Magnani, Hien, Ceccherini; Depaoli, Duda, Tameze, Doig; Lazovic; Ngonge, Lasagna
Salernitana possible starting lineup:
Ochoa; Sambia, Troost-Ekong, Bronn, Bradaric; Candreva, Coulibaly, Bohinen, Vilhena; Dia, Bonazzoli
We say: Hellas Verona 1-0 Salernitana
Verona have scored 74% of their goals in the first half - the highest proportion in Serie A this season - while Salernitana have conceded 23 times before the break, which is four more than any other side.
Should the hosts take the lead again, their newfound resolve should see them over the line - bringing the prospect of safety one small step closer.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Jonathan O'Shea
