Prediction: Spezia to win 1-0
Best Odds: 7.50
Spezia and Hellas Verona will face each other in the Serie A Relegation tie-breaker this coming weekend. The match between Leonardo Semplici’s side and Marco Zaffaroni’s team will be held at the Mapei Stadium in Città del Tricolore, Reggio Emilia and is scheduled to kick off at 7:45pm UK time on Sunday. This is first Serie A relegation play-off since 2005. The loses of the tie will join Sampdoria and Cremonese in Serie B next season.
Spezia
Spezia are a small club in Italy whose stadium, Stadio Alberto Picco, does not even hold 12,000 fans. Leonardo Semplici’s side finished as low as 16th in the Serie A table last season, and they have ended up 17th in the standings this time around.
The Aquile finished the 2021-22 Serie A season with 36 points from 38 matches. Spezia picked up 31 points from 38 matches in the league this time around and will now head into the relegation playoff. It has been a really hard season for them. I Bianchi won just six matches in Serie A all season and lost as many 19 games.
Spezia will head into the match against Hellas Verona on the back of a 2-1 defeat to AS Roma away from home at Stadio Olimpico in Rome in Serie A. It came after a 4-0 hammering at the hands of Torino at home and followed a goalless draw with Lecce on the road.
Team News:
M’Bala Nzola will be a key player for Spezia in their big game. The 26-year-old Angola international striker scored 13 goals and gave two assists in 31 Serie A matches this season and will lead the line against Hellas Verona.
Hellas Verona
Hellas Verona are an established club in Serie A who tend to play in the two flight of Italian football more often than that. Although I Gialloblu are almost involved in a relegation battle whenever they play in Serie A, they do tend to get the job done in the end. However, things could be dire for them now.
Last season, Hellas finished as high as ninth in the Serie A table with 53 points from 38 matches. They ended up above the likes of Udinese, Torino and Sampdoria and were very successful. However, I Mastini are now in serous danger of playing in Serie B next season. They finished the 2022-23 Serie A campaign third from bottom in the table with 31 points from 38 matches.
Hellas will head into the match against Spezia on the back of a 3-1 defeat to AC Milan away from home at San Siro in Serie A. It came after a 1-1 draw with Empoli at home in the league and followed a 3-1 loss at the hands of Atalanta on the road in Serie A.
Team News:
Simone Verdi, Farko Lazovic and Cyril Ngonge will be big players for Hellas Verona against Spezia this weekend.
Key Factors to Consider
- Spezia have lost 3 of their last 5 matches.
- Hellas Verona have won 1 of their last 5 matches.
- Spezia have won 1 of their 5 matches against Hellas Verona.
- Hellas Verona have won 2 of their 5 matches against Spezia.
- M’Bala Nzola has scored 13 goals and given 2 assists in M’Bala Nzola for Spezia this season.
Conclusion
There was nothing much between Spezia and Hellas Verona in the ‘regular’ Serie A season. Both sides ended the season on 31 points from 38 matches. Both struggled to score goals and conceded far too many. It is very likely that this game will be decided by a single goal. It could be a mistake that eventually leads to the all-important goal. Give how good M’Bala Nzola has been for Spezia this season, it is very likely that the striker will be difference-maker in the tie.
Prediction: Spezia to win 1-0
Best Odds: 7.50
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