Preview: Hellas Verona vs. Genoa - prediction, team news, lineups

Genoa's battle to escape the Serie A relegation zone will continue on Monday evening when they travel to Stadio Marc'Antonio Bentegodi to take on Hellas Verona.

The visitors are currently 19th in the table, three points behind 17th-placed Cagliari, while Verona occupy 10th position, some 20 points ahead of their opponents in this clash.

Match preview

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Verona have enjoyed another impressive campaign to date, picking up 42 points from their 30 league matches to sit 10th in the table, some 20 points clear of the relegation zone.

The Yellow and Blues will be looking up the division rather than down at this stage, sitting just five points behind eighth-placed Fiorentina, while they are seven ahead of 11th-placed Torino as it stands.

Verona's recent form has been patchy, picking up just two points from their last three league matches, and they suffered a 2-1 defeat to Napoli in their last game at home on March 13.

Igor Tudor's side have only lost one of their last six in the league, though, and have won eight of their 15 home league fixtures this term, which should mean that confidence is high ahead of this match.

I Mastini have not beaten Genoa in Serie A since January 2020, though, with each of the last three top-flight fixtures finishing level, including a pulsating 3-3 draw in the reverse game earlier this season.

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Genoa have been present in every Serie A season since 2007, so it would be a huge surprise if they dropped out of Italy's top tier for the 2022-23 campaign.

The Red and Blues are firmly in a relegation fight this season, though, having picked up just 22 points from their 30 league matches, which has left them in 19th position in the table.

Genoa have incredibly won just twice in the league this term, but they are only three points behind 17th-placed Cagliari and will bring an eight-game unbeaten run into this match.

Indeed, the strugglers had drawn seven straight league fixtures between January 22 and March 13 before recording a 1-0 victory over Torino before the international break, with Manolo Portanova hitting the winner.

Genoa are therefore unbeaten under the management of Alexander Blessin, and the German will be bidding to lead the team to back-to-back victories in Monday's huge match at Stadio Marc'Antonio Bentegodi.

Team News

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Verona will be missing Kevin Lasagna, Panagiotis Retsos and Pawel Dawidowicz on Monday evening through injury, but Federico Ceccherini and Marco Faraoni are expected to return to the side.

There will not be any major surprises in the home side's starting XI, with a 3-4-3 formation again expected to take to the field, with Antonin Barak and Gianluca Caprari joining Giovanni Simeone in attack.

Simeone has scored 15 goals and registered four assists in 28 Serie A appearances this season, making a big impression for the club since arriving on loan from Cagliari.

As for Genoa, Leo Ostigard is suspended following his red card against Torino last time out, so there is likely to be a spot in the middle of the defence for Mattia Bani.

The visitors will also be missing Zinho Vanheusden, Caleb Ekuban, Andrea Cambiaso and Roberto Piccoli on Monday evening through injury.

Nadiem Amiri had to be replaced in the early stages of the clash with Torino but is expected to be declared fit, while Mattia Destro will again lead the line for the relegation-threatened side.

Hellas Verona possible starting lineup:

Montipo; Sutalo, Gunter, Ceccherini; Faraoni, Tameze, Veloso, Casale; Caprari, Simeone, Barak

Genoa possible starting lineup:

Sirigu; Frendrup, Bani, Maksimovic, Vasquez; Badelj, Sturaro; Gudmundsson, Amiri, Portanova; Destro

We say: Hellas Verona 1-1 Genoa

Genoa have been the draw specialists under their new manager, and we are expecting another stalemate here. Verona have won eight home league matches this term, but Genoa are proving very difficult to beat at the moment, so we have had to settle on a low-scoring draw on Monday night.