Roma host Verona in Serie A on sunday with both teams battling for things at opposite ends of the table.
The hosts head into Sunday’s clash off the back of a 1-0 defeat to Austrian side RB Salzburg in the Europa League knockout playoffs. While it would have been disappointing to come away empty handed, they will still fancy their chances in the second leg and will turn their attention to the top four race in Serie A.
Things are much different in Serie A for Roma who currently have the advantage in the Champions League race despite playing out a 1-1 draw at Lecce last time out. They are currently fourth on the table and have suffered just one defeat in their last five Serie A matches, claiming three wins in that run.
Roma have done some of their best work at the Stadio Olimpico lately having won their last three home matches. They appear to be returning to Jose Mourinho’s classic defensive solidity having kept clean sheets in all three wins.
While Roma are pushing for a top four finish, Verona have a different battle on their hands further down the table. They are currently third from bottom, two points from safety and can climb out of the relegation zone if results go their way this weekend.
Verona's quest for survival has gone well in recent weeks as they are unbeaten in their last four Serie A matches. Marco Zaffaroni’s men have claimed two wins in that run, including a 1-0 victory over Salernitana in their previous fixture.
One problem for Verona is a poor record on their travels having failed to claim a single win away from home this season. They have suffered defeats to the likes of Lazio, Fiorentina and AC Milan in that run but will be keen to build on a 1-1 draw at Udinese in their previous fixture on the road.
How the bookies view it
Roma are considered overwhelming favourites among the bookies with a home win priced at 35/50 by SBK. A victory for Verona is valued at 11/2 by bet365 while a draw is set at odds of 14/5 by SBK.
Head to head
Roma have a 14-6 advantage with three draws from 23 previous matches against Verona. The capital club claimed a 3-1 victory in the reverse fixture back in October.
Players to watch
Jose Mourinho’s classic solid defensive setup has been evident in recent weeks as Roma have kept clean sheets in their last three home matches. Centre-backs Roger Ibanez and Chris Smalling have been pivotal in that run and can lead the hosts to another clean sheet at 20/21 with BoyleSports.
At the other end of the pitch, Paulo Dybala remains the top scorer for Roma with eight goals and will be the one to watch on Sunday. The striker was on target in the draw at Lecce and is priced at 39/20 by Unibet to get on the score sheet.
Anything else catch the eye?
Roma have won to nil in their last three Serie A home matches and could be set for a similar outcome at 6/4 with BetVictor. Given Roma’s attacking quality, they are likely to score multiple goals and could be backed in the -1 handicap market at 15/8 with Paddy Power.
The capital club are expected to be dominant on Sunday and could be tipped to win both halves at 15/8 with Paddy Power.
This Serie A match between Roma and Verona will be played on Feb 19, 2023 and kick off at 19:45. Check below for our tipsters best Roma vs Verona prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
