The Gialloblu are breathing a little easier after a wild midweek trip to Naples. Paolo Zanetti’s men were inches away from a historic victory at the Maradona, leading 2-0 thanks to Martin Frese and a Gift Orban penalty before the champions clawed back for a 2-2 draw. It was a massive statement of intent, especially considering Verona had lost 15 of their previous 20 visits to that stadium. Still, the reality at home is a bit more grim. With only one win in nine games at the Bentegodi across all competitions, the pressure is on to turn this place back into a fortress. It won’t be easy, as history shows Verona hasn’t beaten Lazio in eight tries, shipped 17 goals in the process.

Lazio, on the other hand, is the definition of a roller coaster. Maurizio Sarri’s squad sits in ninth place, and their lack of consistency is driving the fans in Rome a bit crazy. They narrowly avoided disaster against Fiorentina last time out, thanks to a vintage last minute strike from Pedro to rescue a point. That 2-2 draw highlighted the same old problems: a defense that can be breached and an attack that relies on moments of individual brilliance. Their away form is particularly concerning, with only two wins outside of the capital. If they want to play in Europe next year, they simply have to start taking three points from places like Verona, even if it feels like a struggle every time they travel.

The team news for Verona is a bit of a mixed bag. They are still missing Rafik Belghali due to AFCON duties, and the injuries to Tomas Suslov and Jean-Daniel Akpa Akpro certainly limit Zanetti’s options in midfield. However, Gift Orban is finding his rhythm, and the competition for that second striker spot between Amine Sarr and Daniel Mosquera is heating up. It’s hard to say how this will end, but Verona seems to have found a bit of a scoring touch lately. They’ve managed an average of 1.0 goals per home game, and against a Lazio side that has looked shaky, they’ll definitely fancy their chances of hitting the back of the net at least once.

Lazio’s camp is dealing with its own set of headaches, mostly self inflicted. Mattia Zaccagni, a former Verona favorite, is suspended, which is a huge blow to their creative spark. With players like Boulaye Dia at AFCON and several injuries in the backline, Sarri is stretching his squad to the limit. Interestingly, former Hellas players like Tijjani Noslin and Reda Belahyane might feature, adding a bit of spice to the narrative. Lazio’s matches on the road have been high tension affairs, averaging a whopping 5.78 cards per game. Expect a physical encounter where the referee will be kept very busy. Whether Lazio can find that Serie A predictions winning formula remains the big question for the weekend.