Both looking for their first win of 2026, Hellas Verona and Bologna will compete for maximum points when they meet at the Stadio Bentegodi on Thursday.
The visitors have not won any of their last seven matches since putting together a stellar performance in November serie a match, while Verona is without a win in five.
match preview
After losing 1-0 to Lazio on Sunday evening, Verona have just one point to show from their first three fixtures of the new year, leaving them in deep danger.
Only promoted Pisa have picked up a few points as Paolo Zanetti’s struggling team sit four points off safety midway through their league campaign.
Having registered just one win from 11 matches in Bentegodi this season, they will need to overcome this disappointing form to have any chance of avoiding defeat.
Only once in their long history had Hellas collected fewer home points at this stage of a top-flight campaign, and that was in 2015–16, when they were ultimately relegated.
With his job under threat, Zanetti clearly has issues getting things right at both ends of the pitch: Verona have conceded at least once in their last eight Serie A matches, while failing to score in three of their last four.
© Imago / aal.photo
Bologna have won three of their last four games against Verona in all competitions, following a 2-1 victory in the most recent encounter at Bentegio in March.
Now, Rossoblu boss Vincenzo Italiano has returned to his old club and is in desperate need of another win as his side’s form has slipped since the beginning of December.
Bologna have not won any of their last seven league games – equaling their worst performance in the past five years – and they now trail many of the other clubs competing for European qualification.
Dropping to ninth in the table, the Italians have picked up just three points during that slump – including one from last week’s trip to Como.
Niccolo Cambiaghi was both hero and villain for the visitors on that occasion, scoring his opener before being dismissed; His dismissal proved costly as Lariani then equalized with a brilliant late strike.
So, before hosting Celtic in a crucial Europa League tie, Bologna will be desperate to beat two Serie A strugglers: after visiting Verona, they will tackle Fiorentina in Sunday’s Derby dell’Appennino.
Hellas Verona Serie A form:
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Bologna Serie A form:
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Bologna form (all competitions):
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team news
© Imago / IPA Sport
Verona are still missing injured duo Tomas Suslov and Jean-Daniel Akpa Akpro, but Rafik Belghali has returned from the Africa Cup of Nations and is likely to start.
Once again, Gift Orban, Daniel Mosquera, Amine Sarr and highly rated forward Giovane will all be fighting to stay two places ahead.
Impressing in his debut Serie A campaign, the latter has registered seven goal involvements so far – including six on home soil.
Meanwhile, Bologna talisman Riccardo Orsolini has reflected on his club’s recent decline: the Italy winger has scored only once in his last 11 top-flight appearances, after conceding eight goals in the last 11.
While Thijs Delinga and Santiago Castro are rivals to lead the Rossoblu’s front line, substitute striker Ciro Immobile has previously scored 10 times in 14 games against Verona, seven of which have come at the Bentegodi.
The visitors will be without Jhon Lucumi and Federico Bernardeschi due to injury; Following his careless red card last week, Cambiaghi will serve a suspension.
Hellas Verona probable starting lineup:
Montipo; Nelson, Bella-Cotchaup, Valentini; Belghali, Niasse, Gagliardini, Bernade, Frias; Giovan, Orban
Bologna probable starting lineup:
Ravaglia; Holm, Heggem, Vitik, Miranda; Morrow, Ferguson; Orsolini, Odegaard, Rowe; delinga
We say: Hellas Verona 1-2 Bologna
In catching a delayed game for the Supercoppa Italiana – in which they lost the final – Bologna could finally end their wait for a league win.
Verona’s drought will continue, as they miss a lot of chances and concede a lot of goals – a deadly combination.
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