Separated by two points in the battle for Serie A survival, Hellas Verona and Cagliari clash at Stadio Bentegodi on Monday evening.
Without a win this month, neither side is safe with just five games to go, so there will be plenty at stake.
Match preview
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After posting three straight draws - having won three of their previous seven matches - Verona built up a significant buffer to the drop zone before meeting Roma last week.
As ever, they left the capital empty-handed, following a 22nd defeat in 28 attempts to beat the Giallorossi at Stadio Olimpico, but their destiny remains within their own hands.
Paolo Zanetti's side may have gone four games without a win at a crucial stage of the season, yet they still have three relegation rivals to play - Cagliari, Lecce and Empoli - before the campaign concludes.
While Hellas have recently tightened up at the back, own goals aside they have scored only five times in the league this calendar year, with no player finding the net more than once.
So Zanetti will be keen to find the right balance as Verona aim to continue their long unbeaten streak at home to Cagliari: the Gialloblu have prevailed in nine of the clubs' last 14 meetings at Stadio Bentegodi, drawing all the others.
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Of course, the visitors will seek to finally end that winless run, thereby doing a top-flight double over Verona for the first time since 1972.
Cagliari may have won November's reverse fixture 1-0, thanks to a late strike from top scorer Roberto Piccoli, but they currently trail Hellas by two points in the standings.
Wednesday's delayed game against Fiorentina brought the Rossoblu's 17th league defeat of the season, as they failed to hang on after Piccoli opened the scoring in Sardinia.
The fight to secure a third straight season in Serie A continues, with well-travelled coach Davide Nicola - a renowned survival specialist - hoping to engineer yet another escape from danger.
However, after winning their first away match of 2025 - versus rock-bottom Monza - Cagliari have collected just three points from seven subsequent trips to the mainland, scoring only three goals. That does not bode well before visiting the Bentegodi.
Team News
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Hellas hope to have top scorer Casper Tengstedt back in the squad for Monday's game, following several weeks on the sidelines, but Pawel Dawidowicz has been ruled out by a muscular problem.
The Poland international recently shifted from centre-back to a deep-lying position in midfield, so either Suat Serdar or Cheikh Niasse could be promoted from the bench to replace him.
With Tengstedt still short of fitness, Amin Sarr, Daniel Mosquera and Dailon Livramento will compete to fill two places up front.
Meanwhile, Cagliari will certainly be missing their main marksman: Roberto Piccoli must serve a suspension for accumulated bookings, following his yellow card against Fiorentina.
Therefore, only wing-back Tommaso Augello can maintain a 100% appearance record for the Rossoblu in Serie A this season - he should start on the left flank, with Nadir Zortea on the right.
Alessandro Deiola is now back from a ban, but Yerry Mina could miss Cagliari's final five games after sustaining a serious thigh injury.
Hellas Verona possible starting lineup:
Montipo; Ghilardi, Coppola, Valentini; Tchatchoua, Duda, Serdar, Bradaric; Suslov; Sarr, Mosquera
Cagliari possible starting lineup:
Caprile; Zappa, Palomino, Luperto, Augello; Adopo, Makoumbou; Zortea, Viola, Luvumbo; Pavoletti
We say: Hellas Verona 1-0 Cagliari
Neither team scores very often, so with Cagliari even less potent on the road - and missing their suspended top scorer - Verona could edge a close-fought contest.
Hellas have clearly improved since the turn of the year, and one more win would essentially confirm their Serie A status.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Jonathan O'Shea
