Verona take on the visitors Udinese in the round 22 match of Italian Serie A. The match will be played on Monday, January 26th at Stadio Marc'Antonio Bentegodi (Verona).
Verona risk failing to pull off their usual trick this time. The Mastiffs, of course, remember that they were once champions, but that was a one-off exception rather than a pattern. For a long time they acted as an “elevator” between divisions, and only recently have they managed to avoid relegation with some degree of stability, often not without a bit of luck, as last season showed when even 37 points were enough to finish as high as 14th. In the new campaign, however, there were no wins at all until winter, and even in the cup they managed no more than draws. December did bring two consecutive victories over Atalanta and Fiorentina, but after that they again squeezed out at best draws, mostly suffering defeats. The loss to Bologna was entertaining but still a defeat, 2–3, while the match against Cremonese ended in a goalless draw. Overall, Verona’s recent form suggests they are once again struggling to turn performances into results. At home they remain competitive, but the lack of consistency continues to put them under pressure.
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Udinese have long established themselves as a classic, fairly solid mid-table side, but nothing more than that. They are not in danger of relegation, yet they also do not seriously challenge for European places, and this has remained the case under Kosta Runjaic. Last season, his first in Friuli, started quite well but ended in fairly standard fashion: 44 points and, on tiebreakers, 12th place in the table. This season the numbers are slightly better, but wins still do not outnumber defeats. After beating Torino away in January, they immediately dropped points at home to Pisa, settling for a 2–2 draw. Against Inter the performance was decent, but the league leaders still found a goal, while the underdogs predictably failed to respond and lost. Udinese look organized and competitive, yet they often lack the extra edge to turn tight games in their favor. As a result, their results remain steady but unspectacular.
Somewhat unexpectedly, Hellas have been doing well against this opponent in recent times. They are unbeaten in the last six head-to-head matches, with four wins and two draws. The Mastiffs do not look like favorites in this matchup. The pick is on the visitors from Friuli to secure a win against the underdogs with a zero handicap.
Prediction for the match: Udinese to win with 0.0 handicap.
