Our prediction for this Serie A match:
Stadio Marc’Antonio Bentegodi will host Saturday’s football game between Verona and Inter, the two teams with entirely different ambitions for the remainder of the season. The Mastini are eager to secure yet another Serie A survival, while the Nerazzurri are on a quest to defend their Scudetto. All Ondrej Duda, Martin Frese, and Juan Manuel Cruz should miss out with injuries for the home team, while Cape Verde international Dailon Rocha Livramento is back from suspension.
Simone Inzaghi’s men, on the other hand, are eager to overtake Napoli in top position. As Inter are on a four-game winning run on the road in all competitions, we are tempted to bet on the reigning champions. In their last meeting in “the City of Love” the two sides played out a 2-2 draw and yet another high-scoring affair is on the horizon. Hakan Calhanoglu is rated doubtful for the match, while there are no fresh injury worries in the away team.
Highlighted Player (Hakan Calhanoglu):
Hakan Calhanoglu is another one in the long line of Turkish footballers who were born in Germany, so it is hardly surprising he came to prominence thanks to his performances in Bundesliga. The attacking midfielder with great vision and very good goalscoring record started his professional career at Karlsruher, scoring impressive 17 goals in 50 league outings to earn a move to Bundesliga side Hamburg.
The spell at Imtech Arena was merely a stepping stone for bigger things as 11 goals in his debut top flight campaign persuaded Bayer Leverkusen to splash nearly €15 million on his services. That proved a very good investment as Calhanoglu continued the rich vein of form, and it is now a matter of time before he joins one of European powerhouses.
The midfield maestro had a bright start to his career in the Turkey national team, scoring 5 goals in first 16 caps, and chances are he will become a leader for Milli Takim in the foreseeable future.
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.