Preview: Hellas Verona vs Torino - prediction, team news, lineups

Starting 2026 inside Serie A's bottom three, Hellas Verona will aim to spark a revival when they welcome Torino to Stadio Bentegodi on Sunday.

Both sides won two of their last three games in 2025, but Hellas are deep in danger while Toro sit safely in mid-table.

Match preview

Following their 10th straight defeat to AC Milan - last week's 3-0 loss at San Siro - Verona remain stuck in the relegation zone, with this season's midpoint fast approaching.

Their recent upturn, featuring rare back-to-back wins over Atalanta BC and Fiorentina, was quelled by a home side currently chasing the Scudetto, leaving Paolo Zanetti's side in 18th place with 12 points.

In all, last year was another tough one for the Scaligeri, who may have escaped demotion but continued to struggle: of teams present both this season and last, they accrued the fewest Serie A points in 2025.

This term, Verona have recorded the fewest different goalscorers - only six so far - and they often fail to capitalise on promising positions, effectively dropping more points than anyone else in the second half of matches.

Having also conceded the most goals during the final 15 minutes (eight), Zanetti's men must improve their mental stamina if they are to escape the trapdoor down to Serie B.

However, history is not on their side this week, as Hellas have won just one of the last 17 league meetings with Torino - and that sole success dates back to February 2018.

In fact, Torino will head into Sunday's contest on the back of four straight wins at the Bentegodi, while they have scored in a dozen consecutive visits, at an average of two goals per game.

Also unbeaten in their first Serie A fixture of the calendar year for the past six seasons, Toro certainly have precedent on their side.

They ended 2025 on a down note, though, by letting a lead slip to lose 2-1 at home against relegation candidates Cagliari.

Continuing a mid-season purple patch, Nikola Vlasic scored his fifth goal in six league games, but the hosts still came away empty-handed from a clash they were widely expected to win.

After shipping two more last week, Torino have conceded 28 goals in 17 matches so far, which is a league-high alongside Fiorentina and Udinese.

Nonetheless, beating promoted pair Cremonese and Sassuolo before Christmas had previously taken them onto 20 points, eight clear of Verona.

Head coach Marco Baroni now returns to his old club, having served Hellas as both a manager and a player, but there will be no room for sentiment for 90-odd minutes on Sunday.

Hellas Verona Serie A form:

D L L W W L

Torino Serie A form:

L L L W W L

Team News

Verona are still missing Jean-Daniel Akpa Akpro and long-term absentee Tomas Suslov due to injury, while Rafik Belghali is away with Algeria at the Africa Cup of Nations.

In better news for Zanetti, who played for Sunday's opponents 76 times between 2007 and 2011, Danish defender Martin Frese will be available after serving a one-match ban.

While Gift Orban is the Gialloblu's top scorer with four goals, Daniel Mosquera is also in contention to partner Giovane up front: the latter has registered 20 shots on target this season, but he has only found the net three times.

Meanwhile, no one has been directly involved in more Serie A goals than Vlasic since the start of November - seven, level with Lautaro Martinez - despite the Croatian occupying a withdrawn role behind two strikers.

Che Adams and ex-Hellas striker Giovanni Simeone face competition from Duvan Zapata in that ongoing battle to lead Torino's attack.

Though Saul Coco has now completed his AFCON commitments, Adam Masina is still with Morocco; Ivan Ilic and Marcus Pedersen are injury doubts.

Hellas Verona possible starting lineup:

Montipo; Nunez, Nelsson, Bella-Kotchap; Oyegoke, Gagliardini, Serdar, Bernede, Frese; Giovane, Orban

Torino possible starting lineup:

Paleari; Tameze, Maripan, Ismajli; Lazaro, Gineitis, Asllani, Nkounkou; Vlasic; Adams, Simeone