Friday, September 13, 2024

Prediction: Hellas Verona vs Juventus

Verdict: Away win

Best odds: 4/5

Bookmaker: Olympusbet

Both Hellas Verona and Juventus will enter their second Serie A fixtures of the 2024/25 season with confidence, having each secured convincing 3-0 victories in their opening matches.

Verona produced an outstanding second-half performance to stun Napoli, showcasing their potential to upset top-tier opposition. Meanwhile, Juventus displayed their strength by comfortably overcoming newly-promoted Como under the guidance of new manager Thiago Motta, suggesting that the Turin giants could be a formidable force once again this season.

As both sides aim to build on their strong starts, this clash at Stadio Bentegodi promises to be an intriguing contest.

Hellas Verona

Verona’s strong home form against Juventus has been a consistent bright spot in recent years, with only one loss in their last 10 Serie A encounters at the Bentegodi. This fortress mentality was evident in their impressive start to the 2024-25 season, where they dismantled Napoli 3-0 in a thrilling second-half display.

Despite a shaky start with a Coppa Italia exit to Cesena, Verona responded emphatically against Napoli. Dailon Livramento and Daniel Mosquera both shone on their league debuts, with Mosquera scoring twice, helping to secure a victory that will boost confidence as they aim for a sixth consecutive season in Serie A. Under new coach Paolo Zanetti, replacing Marco Baroni, the Scaligeri have shown resilience, now unbeaten in three matches—a run that equals their best form since April 2023.

Monday’s showdown against Juventus will be a true test of their credentials, especially as they face an Old Lady side that started the season in dominant fashion too.

Team News

Verona will be forced to alter their winning formula from last week, as Suat Serdar is sidelined due to a thigh injury. French midfielder Reda Belahyane is expected to step in as his replacement in the middle of the park.

Paolo Zanetti might also consider a change in the forward line, with Daniel Mosquera pushing for a starting spot after his two-goal heroics off the bench against Napoli. This could see Benfica loanee Casper Tengstedt drop to the bench.

Long-term absentee Juan Manuel Cruz remains unavailable, limiting Zanetti’s options in attack somewhat.

Juventus

Juventus made the most of a favorable start to their Serie A campaign by delivering a dominant performance last weekend, signaling their intent to challenge for the Scudetto this season. Surprise debutant Samuel Mbangula opened the scoring against Como, with Timothy Weah adding a second just before halftime. Andrea Cambiaso’s late goal capped off an impressive 3-0 win for new manager Thiago Motta.

Still active in the transfer market, Juventus displayed early signs of progress under Motta, boasting the highest passing accuracy on the opening weekend (92%) and preventing their opponents from registering a single shot on target. Motta’s appointment was meant to usher in a new era of proactive football and winning mentality after his surprising success with Bologna last season, where his team qualified for the Champions League on the back of numerous clean sheets.

However, while their opening victory is a positive step, Juventus must address their woeful away form if they are to mount a serious title challenge. The Bianconeri have failed to win any of their last eight Serie A games on the road, their worst such run since 1999.

On a more positive note, Juve have dominated recent encounters with Hellas Verona, winning four of their last five meetings and keeping clean sheets in each of those victories. Motta’s men will be keen to extend that dominance as they continue their resurgence under his leadership.

Team News

Juventus face a few injury setbacks ahead of the Verona trip, as both Timothy Weah and Khephren Thuram, who started last week’s win over Como, have been ruled out due to injuries.

Also, Arkadiusz Milik remains sidelined with a knee problem. Milik is part of a group of players expected to leave the club before the transfer window closes, alongside Tiago Djalo, Filip Kostic, Arthur, and Federico Chiesa.

New signings Douglas Luiz, Michele Di Gregorio, and former Verona full-back Juan Cabal could be set to start on Monday. Meanwhile, the highly anticipated transfers of Nico Gonzalez and Teun Koopmeiners are yet to be finalized.

Youth graduate Samuel Mbangula, who impressed with a debut goal against Como, could make history by becoming the first player to score in both of his first two league appearances for Juventus since Carlos Tevez achieved the feat back in August 2013.

Conclusion

Juventus seem revitalized under new manager Thiago Motta, showing early signs of a more coherent and proactive playing style. As a result, they are likely to present a far sterner challenge for Verona than the struggling Napoli side that Verona overcame on opening day.

With Dusan Vlahovic leading the attack and pacey options out wide, Juve will be looking to capitalize on any defensive vulnerabilities their hosts might display.

Verdict: Away win

Best odds: 4/5

Bookmaker: Olympusbet

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Veselin Trajkovic


Vesko is a football writer that likes to observe the game for what it is, focusing on teams, players and their roles, formations, tactics, rather than stats. He follows the English Premier League closely, Liverpool FC in particular. His articles have been published on seven different football blogs.

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