Verona vs AS Roma prediction: ITALY: Serie A betting tips on match 2023-08-25 18:45.
After preserving their Serie A (SA) status by way of a dramatic play-off last season, Hellas Verona’s pursuit of survival this campaign couldn’t have started better after beating Empoli 1-0, a success which marked a Verona win on the opening day for only the fifth time this century! Registering another victory here would put their fans in early-season dreamland, although winning their first two SA matches is a feat only seen twice before in Verona’s history!
Achieving that goal would see the Yellow-blues conquer another rare feat, since their last 72 H2Hs against upcoming opponents Roma have produced only 12 wins (D22, L38). New manager Marco Baroni also has a bone to pick with the visitors, as he aims to get his first victory over Roma in what will be his sixth attempt (D1, L4) with a fourth different team.
Roma got their season off to a slower start after having to rescue a 2-2 draw against Salernitana, failing to kick-start a SA campaign with a win for the first time under José Mourinho. The Portuguese manager wasn’t there on the opening day to spur his side on, and neither will he be on the sidelines at the Stadio Marc'Antonio Bentegodi, after his contentious ways landed him a ten-day touchline ban to start this campaign.
From a distance, Mourinho will be hoping his side continue their fine record they’ve built in their first SA away match of a new season, losing once in the last 12 campaigns (W7, D4). The Yellow and Reds need a fresh start on the road anyway, after experiencing a woeful run of winning only once in their last 13 on their travels this year (D4, L8).
Players to watch: Verona new-recruit Jordi Mboula has scored five of his last six goals at home, with the last coming on his Verona debut in a 3-1 Coppa Italia win over Ascoli. Meanwhile, Roma’s Stephan El Shaarawy has netted six of his last eight SA goals on the road, including one in this fixture last season.
Hot stat: Both teams have scored in 12 of the last 15 H2Hs hosted by Verona.