Serie A: Marco Baroni Welcomes Former Friends to Rome

Lazio vs Hellas Verona

Marco Baroni did wonders for Verona last season, when he was able to keep I Gialloblu in Serie A despite the tumultuous internal problems they had.

He was revered as a hero then, but now he must face the club he once saved from the brink of relegation when Lazio host Verona at the Stadio Olimpico on Tuesday.

I Biancocelesti are looking for a good result after a draw against Milan and a tough loss to Udinese in their last fixtures.

Meanwhile, Verona fans are enjoying how things are going as of late, with their squad sitting fifth in the standings after good Serie A 2024 results against Napoli and Genoa.

Although Verona are grateful for the job Baroni did, now is not the time to reminisce but to fight for all three points instead.

Will Lazio get back to their winning ways? Or can Verona leave their former boss disappointed? Let this SBOTOP writer tell you what he thinks.

Talking Points

Lazio must do away with inconsistency

It hasn’t been an ideal start for Marco Baroni’s side, as they have wasted points in two of their first three matches to start the season.

In fact, had it not been for a comeback win against newly promoted Venezia, then the boys from the capital would’ve been way down in the standings.

Lazio conceded an early goal—not even five minutes in—against Venezia when they failed to clear the ball from a throw-in, which left Magnus Kofod Andersen to strike the ball past Ivan Provedel.

To their credit, they quickly erased the deficit in the 11^th minute mark when Valentin Castellanos equalised after Michael Svoboda’s mistake at the back cost Venezia the goal.

Lazio took the lead via a Mattia Zaccagni penalty just before half-time whilst an 81^st-minute own goal sealed all the points I Biancocelesti.

But they would fail to build on their opening day win after Udinese hit them with a 2-1 win away from home. Despite Udinese’s Hassane Kamara being booked for a red card in the 68^th minute, the Romans were unable to capitalise and only scored at the death.

They would then throw a 2-1 lead at home against Milan after a beautiful build-up play ended with a Rafael Leao goal, hence the match finishing in a draw.

A win would be huge for Verona

After surpassing the challenges they faced last season, Hellas Verona seemed to be reborn and are now looking for a third win of the season.

It was a statement dub against Napoli during I Gialloblu’s curtain raiser, as they stunned a side that was predicted to do away with them comfortably.

Napoli had more control of the ball and attempted more shots, but were unable to convert even a single one of the 14 attempts they had. And whilst they struggled to find the mark, Verona took their chances well, led by Daniel Mosquera, who scored a second-half brace to finish things off.

They were then met with a quick reality check against a red-hot Juventus—losing 0-3—but quickly recovered to dispose Genoa (0-2).

If they are successful in their trip to Rome, then it would be a second win over a top Italian side.

History

Lazio and Hellas Verona have played each other 19 times since 2012. As expected, I Biancocelesti have the overwhelming advantage of 10 wins to Verona’s three, whilst both sides had to settle for a draw on six occasions.

Despite Lazio’s head-to-head advantage, their last five meetings had three draws and only two wins, both of which were Lazio victories at the Stadio Olimpico.

The last time Verona were victorious against their upcoming opponents was back in 2021, when I Gialloblu delivered a home cooking in a 4-1 domination. I’m pretty sure their fans are yet to forget Giovanni Simeone’s performance that match, scoring all four goals for Verona, which included two goals in a span of six minutes and an added time finish to add salt to the wound.

Betting Tip

Although Verona started out well, I do feel like Lazio—despite a rocky start—will have enough quality within their ranks to pull out a victory.

And the odds agree with me on this one.

The Serie A 2024 odds have Lazio (1.63) as the clear favourites over a Hellas Verona (4.93) side that most people think that it’s just a matter of time before their form fizzles out. Meanwhile, a draw is priced at 3.52 in the event that nothing separates the two clubs.

 

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