Preview: Hellas Verona vs. Bologna - prediction, team news, lineups

Hellas Verona play host to Bologna on Friday evening looking for the victory which will keep them in the top half of the Serie A standings.

However, they hold just a three-point advantage over 13th-placed Bologna, who have lost five of their last six matches in Italy's top flight.

Match preview

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Igor Tudor certainly has not had it his own way since arriving at Stadio Marc'Antonio Bentegodi in September, the Croatian overseeing three successive defeats in all competitions just before the Christmas break.

Nevertheless, Verona are the sixth-best performing side in Serie A over the past 19 fixtures, I Gialloblu collecting 30 points during that period.

Their latest impressive victory came last weekend as they outlasted Sassuolo in a six-goal thriller, Antonin Barak completing his hat-trick in the final minute to claim a 4-2 victory.

Verona still have plenty of work ahead of them if they are to challenge for European qualification, the current margin to seventh-placed Roma standing at five points.

However, providing that they can bring an end to their current four-game winless streak at home, Tudor and his squad will fancy their chances of upsetting the status quo.

Not so long ago, Bologna possessed the same kind of promise and optimism that Verona are experiencing now having kept them in close proximity to the same group of clubs.

Collecting just three points from a possible 18 has quickly changed the mood at Renato Dall'Ara Stadium, however, and they are now on the brink of losing touch with Friday's opponents and the clubs above them.

Sinisa Mihajlovic will see that a favourable run of fixtures awaits his team with Lazio the only so-called big club awaiting them in their next six fixtures.

That said, they must first focus on one game at a time, particularly having conceded twice in five of their last six outings and leading marksman Marko Arnautovic having lost his way in front of goal.

Team News

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Verona will be able to call upon midfielder Ivan Ilic, who has served the one-match ban for his red card against Salernitana.

The Serbian may replace Adrien Tameze in the centre of the pitch, but the remainder of the team could remain the same, the likes of Nikola Kalinic having to settle for a spot on the substitutes' bench.

Martin Hongla is still out of contention as he continues to represent Cameroon at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Mihajlovic will inevitably make alterations to his Bolonga XI with Kevin Bonifazi and Nicolas Dominguez among the players who could be recalled.

Musa Barrow and Ibrahima Mbaye are both away at the Africa Cup of Nations, but Arnautovic may be given another chance to rediscover his earlier goalscoring form.

Hellas Verona possible starting lineup:
Montipo; Ceccherini, Gunter, Casale; Depaoli, Ilic, Veloso, Lazovic; Barak, Caprari; Simeone

Bologna possible starting lineup:
Skorupski; Bonifazi, Binks, Theate; Silvestri, Soriano, Domiguez, Svanberg, Hickey; Arnautovic, Sansone

We say: Hellas Verona 2-1 Bologna

With this being a game between a club who is inconsistent and another that are out of form, we cannot predict a winner with any great certainty. Nevertheless, with home form and a couple of recent wins in their favour, Verona appear most likely to get over the line by the odd goal in three.

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