Preview: Hellas Verona vs Virtus Entella - prediction, team news, lineups

After suffering the pain of relegation last season, Hellas Verona will return to competitive action on Sunday, getting their 2026-27 campaign under way with a Coppa Italia tie against Virtus Entella.

The winner of their first-round clash at Stadio Bentegodi will visit either Cagliari or Arezzo in round two.

Match preview

Though they once were shock winners of Serie A, Verona have never lifted Italy's national cup, and their recent record in the competition is rather modest.

Having swerved a major scare against little Audace Cerignola last summer, they were soon knocked out by regional rivals Venezia in the second round, before struggling throughout their Serie A campaign.

After surviving by slim margins for several years, Hellas finally bade farewell to Italy's top tier, ultimately picking up just three points from their final 10 fixtures.

Failing to find the net on 20 occasions equalled a negative club record set back in 1989, while they went six consecutive home games without scoring for the first time ever.

In that context, relegation was all but inevitable, and interim coach Paolo Sammarco has since stepped aside, with Marco Baroni beginning his second spell in charge.

So far, the response has been largely positive, as four straight friendly wins preceded last week's 1-0 loss to Cremonese.

Next, the Gialloblu will host a Coppa Italia curtain-raiser, before welcoming Ascoli to the Bentegodi for their Serie B opener.

Even more so than Verona, Entella's cup record is very modest, reflecting the Ligurian club's limited resources.

Though they made it past the preliminary round last season, the Biancocelesti were then beaten by Cagliari in round one, losing on penalties after a 1-1 away draw.

Having gone on to finish 14th in Serie B, just a few points clear of the drop zone, they could be facing another survival battle this term.

During the summer, Entella have lost friendlies to Empoli and Carrarese, either side of a 2-1 victory over Novara.

Set to get their league campaign up and running away to Sudtirol next week, Andrea Chiappella's side must first visit Verona.

Hellas Verona pre-season form:

Virtus Entella pre-season form:

Team News

Although Hellas have lost Scottish striker Kieron Bowie to Sassuolo, Samuele Mulattieri travelled the opposite way and could start up front this weekend.

Experienced goalkeeper Nicola Leali also joined from Genoa, and French midfielder Andrea Le Borgne has just arrived on loan from Como, but Baroni's squad is largely unchanged despite a dismal 2025-26 campaign.

Slovakian playmaker Tomas Suslov remains at the club for now, and he may play a link role between midfield and attack; captain Suat Serdar is still sidelined by a serious knee injury.

The recent acquisitions of Francesco Forte and Giacomo Corona have added strength and variety to Entella's front line, with Forte scoring both goals in the friendly win against Novara.

Chiappella must deal with several absences, however, as Niccolo Squizzato and Leonardo Benedetti are both injured, while Mattia Tirelli, Luigi Cuppone and Andrea Franzoni are all doubts.

Hellas Verona possible starting lineup:

Leali; Oyegoke, Edmundsson, Slotsager, Frese; Kastanos, Bernede, Harroui; Suslov; Livramento, Mulattieri

Virtus Entella possible starting lineup:

Colombi; Parodi, Tiritiello, Marconi; Mezzoni, Karic, Nichetti, Di Mario; Franzoni; Forte, Corona