Our prediction for this Serie A match:
Sampdoria and Lazio square off against each other in the Serie A round 16 in what is expected to be an interesting match. La Samp aim to bounce back from a 3-1 loss to Fiorentina, with the team eyeing their third home win of the process. Colley is banned for the hosts, while all Damsgaard, Vieira, and Torregrossa should miss out with injuries. The Biancocelesti, on the other hand, played out a thrilling 4-4 draw with Udinese in their last league fixtures.
The capital club look sharp in front of goal, and seeing that Sampdoria have turned their stadium into a real fortress, we believe that there is a big value in betting on both teams to score. Patric (suspension) should be the only absentee in the away team this time out. 13 goals in total have been netted in the previous four meetings between the two teams.
Highlighted Player (Kevin Ruegg):
Kevin Ruegg is a FC Zurich product. Ruegg was born in Uster, Switzerland on August 5, 1998 and he made his senior debut with FC Zurich on February 26 in a 4-1 win over Wohlen. The Swiss footballer made only nine appearances for der Stadtclub in the Challenge League, but he established himself as a first-team regular in the 2017/2018 Super League campaign.
Kevin Ruegg made 31 appearances for FC Zurich in the Swiss top flight, providing three assists for his teammates in the process. His main position is full-back, but he is used as defensive midfielder and central midfielder as well.
The 173-cm tall footballer wears No. 22 jersey at FC Zurich and his preferred foot is right. Kevin Ruegg has four caps for the Switzerland U19 team and he made his debut for the Switzerland U21 team on September 5, 2017 in a 1-1 draw with Romania in the Euro U21 qualifiers.
Highlighted Team (Verona):
Founded back in 1903, Hellas Verona are a professional football club that compete in the Italian Serie A. The “Mastini” are well known for their yellow and blue jerseys and they welcome their opponents at Stadio Marc’Antonio Bentegodi. Hellas Verona share rivalry with Chievo Verona and the two local rivals face each other in the “Derby della Scala”.
The first derby of Verona was played on November 18, 2001, with Hellas Verona emerging triumphant (3-2). In 1985 the Mastini won their first and only Scudetto, with the team finishing the season in top position in the Serie A standings, four points clear of second-placed Torino. The likes of Preben Elkjaer, Giuseppe Calderisi, Hans-Peter Briegel, Pietro Fanna and Antonio Di Gennaro led Hellas Verona to the historical success.
However, the most famous footballer who played for Verona is Romania international Adrian Mutu, who scored 16 goals in 57 appearances in the league for the Stadio Marc’ Antonio Bentegodi outfit. Verona will compete in the Italian top flight in the 2017/2018 season as they finished the 2016/2017 Serie B campaign in second position in the table.