Verona beat Lazio 4-1 in this fixture last season, ahead of which I wrote .....
Incredible return to the top flight for Verona, they will enter the Christmas break no worse than 6th and would go above Inter into 5th for at least a few hours with the win this afternoon and that is way beyond even the most positive of pre season expectations. Key to this success has been their home form (7-0-1), infact, they have lost only 3 of 46 home starts since early October 2011. They have named a squad as long as your arm for this afternoon, seemingly including everyone except fringe midfielder Ezequiel Cirigliano and the lady who serves the espresso after training.
Miroslav Klose (10-4-2) made his first start im six weeks against Livorno last Sunday and scored twice and even at 35yo poses a big offensive threat. However, there will be no Hernanes (13-2-2) pulling the strings in midfield and his influence, especially on the road, is key, Lazio are 1-2-12 away from home over the last three seasons when he plays 45 minutes or less.Also missing are left back Stefan Radu (9-0-0), midfielder Álvaro González (10-0-0.... who would have expected to play in Hernanes absence) and right back Bruno Pereirinha.
The visitors have yet to win away from Rome this season and missing a major creative talent in midfield, where Verona, especially young Juan Iturbe (12-3-1) and Jorginho (15-7-2) have impressed , it is hard to see it happening here today and I take another veteran striker Luca Toni (14-5-8) to come out on top .
The two also played out a 3-3 draw in Rome at the end of the season and with Verona having conceded nine in their last two home starts and Lazio having scored 11 in their last four, including six in two on the road, it is easy to see goals on the cards tonight.
Verona have lost Iturbe to Roma since I wrote those notes and Luca Toni turned 37 in May, but 23 goals and 13 assists in 45 starts for the veteran is a very impressive return and I do not feel there has been too much wrong with Verona's form this season. They were 3-2-1 only losing on the road to Roma, before the 3-1 home loss to Milan and 6-2 defeat at Napoli got alarm bells ringing. However, the first of those was very flattering to Milan , the match could easily have ended 3-3 and even at 0-3 Verona kept battling and fought until the last kick of the game, perhaps too hard, as Rafael Marquez was sent off in injury time. The match at San Paolo was all square at 2-2 with 22 minutes left to play and a little more competitive than the scoreline makes it appear.
Lazio are looking for a 5th straight win and would move into third and within four points of rivals Roma with the win and that is a big incentive, Filip Djordjevic has hit the ground running since arriving from Nantes with five goals and he and Klose form a potent partnership with bullets provided from a high tempo, technically astute midfield and this is a match which promises much in terms of entertainment. I am not sure that Lazio should be favourite for this and am tempted by Verona with the start, but marginally prefer goals.
One end of the stadium will be empty tonight a result of a "partial " ban following the Milan game.
1.5 units "over" 3 goals 2.26 asian line/Sportmarket.
Verona: 1 Rafael, 22 Benussi, 95 Gollini, 4 Marquez, 5 Sorensen, 16 Luna, 18 Moras, 28 Brivio, 33 Agostini, 40 Gonzalez, 71 Martic, 10 Hallfredsson, 23 Ionita, 27 Valoti, 30 Campanharo, 77 Tachtsidis, 7 Saviola, 9 Toni, 11 Jankovic, 17 Lopez, 20 Lazaros, 21 Gomez Taleb, 99 Nenè.
Lazio : Berisha, Marchetti, Strakosha, Braafheid, Cavanda, Ciani, de Vrij, Novaretti, Pereirinha, Radu, Biglia, Ederson, Gonzalez, Ledesma, Lulic, Onazi, Parolo, Felipe Anderson, Candreva, Djordjevic, Klose.
Good Luck.
