Two teams who started the season with very different objectives will meet in Serie A this weekend, as Hellas Verona welcome Inter Milan to the Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi.
For Verona, securing another season in the top flight was their aim and they have nearly achieved it, while Inter are a world away from their minimum requirement of booking a place in Europe.
Hellas Verona
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Perhaps it is no surprise to see Verona in the bottom half of the Serie A table, given the fact that they massively overachieved last season.
Despite winning promotion to the top flight for the first time in 11 years, they played some of the best football in the league and they finished the season just three points shy of a Europa League spot.
The loss of a number of star players like Juan Iturbe and Romulo has seen them slide alarmingly down the table, but the goals of veteran striker Luca Toni have helped to keep them above the relegation zone.
With nine games of the season left to play they are 11 points clear of the bottom three, and an improved run of form in the past month has edged them closer to safety.
They did appear to be cruising to a 3-0 win in their last match against Cesena, before a late collapse in the final 20 minutes saw them concede three times and forced them to settle for a draw.
Verona are more than a match for anyone on their day, though, as last month they shocked Napoli by earning a 2-0 win, just a week after coming from behind to secure a 2-2 draw with AC Milan.
Recent form: DWDWLD
Inter Milan
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Things couldn't be going much worse for Inter Milan at the moment and they are currently on a miserable run of form.
It looked as if their season was starting to pick up after a run of three consecutive wins in February and there were genuine hopes that they could mount a late challenge for a place in the top five.
However, they have not picked up a win in their last five league games, which has seen them drop down to ninth in the table and it has all but ended their chances of qualifying for Europe.
Roberto Mancini's side were even booed off the pitch last weekend, as they struggled against bottom-of-the-league Parma and were held to a 1-1 draw.
It has led to heightened speculation over the future of the manager and there is expected to be a mass clear-out of players at San Siro this summer.
Recent form in Serie A: WLDDLD
Recent form (all competitions): DLDLLD
Team News
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Inter have no fresh injury concerns, although Dodo and Zdravko Kuzmanovic will be expected to miss out once again.
Mauro Icardi was suspended for the Nerazzurri last weekend, but he is available and is expected to go straight back into the starting lineup.
He should join Rodrigo Palacio and Xherdan Shaqiri in the attack, with Lukas Podolski having to settle for a place on the bench.
Verona will be without the injured Artur Ionita, while Mounir Obaddi and Gustavo Campanharo will both be pushing for a place in the starting lineup.
Hellas Verona possible starting lineup:
Benussi, Sala, Moras, Marquez, Pisano, Greco, Tachtsidis, Hallfredsson, Jankovic, Juanito, Toni
Inter Milan possible starting lineup:
Handanovic, Santon, Ranocchia, Jesus, Nagatomo, Guarin, Medel, Kovacic, Shaqiri, Palacio, Icardi
Head To Head
It was a thrilling game when these teams met earlier this season, as Nicolas Lopez struck a last-minute equaliser for Verona to earn them a 2-2 draw at San Siro.
Last season it was Inter who came out on top in both games, as they romped to a 4-2 win at home, before earning a 2-0 victory in the final weeks of the campaign.
Those aren't Inter's only successes over Verona, as they have won 10 of their past 12 meetings in an unbeaten sequence that stretches over the past 20 years.
We say: Hellas Verona 1-1 Inter Milan
Due to the poor form of each side this is a tough game to call, but the recent fixtures between them hint at an entertaining match. They are both more than capable of scoring goals, but keeping them out at the other end could prove to be a problem, so we think that this match will end in a keenly-contested draw.
Alex Meyers
