Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Serie A match.
Ahead of their head-to-head clash, Monza hold a seven-point advantage over Hellas Verona, who have just climbed out of the relegation zone. While Verona are still fighting for survival, they will need a solid defensive performance to avoid slipping further behind their rivals.
Monza
Monza have struggled to collect points in recent weeks, picking up just three in their last five matches—only one team has done worse in that period. Their offensive struggles continue, especially with long-term absentee Matteo Pessina, leaving Daniel Maldini as their main creative outlet—though he is being closely monitored by Atalanta. Monza have created just 19.95 xG across 22 matches, the worst record in Serie A by a significant margin. Monday’s 0:2 defeat to Genoa further complicated things, with Akpa Akpro sustaining an injury and his replacement, Alessandro Bianco, earning his fifth yellow card, meaning both will miss the upcoming match.
Hellas Verona
Hellas Verona’s attack has been equally unimpressive, scoring only four goals in their last five matches—only bottom-placed Venezia have fewer (three). The biggest issue for the team is finishing their chances. In January, they generated 4.64 xG but scored just once. Given these struggles, they are unlikely to take risks and will focus on a cautious game plan from the outset.
Monza vs Hellas Verona Prediction
When these sides met in the eighth round, Monza surprisingly thrashed Hellas Verona (3:0), though two of those goals came late when Verona were pushing forward. Given both teams’ attacking struggles, we shouldn’t expect a high-scoring match this time.
