The fixture between Verona and Carpi at Stadio Bentegodi could be very important for the relegation zone, the last Serie A team on the table against second-bottom.
Luigi Del Neri replaced Andrea Mandorlini after five years on Gialloblù bench. This change was intended to shake the team into order, to come from behind to avoid relegation. Verona managed to achieve some good results like, for instance, the derby win against Chievo. However, the Gialloblù are currently eight points behind Palermo.
“We are in good form and we demonstrated it against Fiorentina. We will play the Sunday game in front of our amazing supporters”. The second goalkeeper Richard Marcone told Questo il Verona this week. “All the remaining fixtures must be like finals”.
If we thought about the most important strikers of Verona at the beginning of the season, Giampaolo Pazzini and Luca Toni, we wouldn’t have predicted a relegation for them. The former has scored 157 Serie A goals in 341 appearances and the latter 106 in 342, but only 10 combined during this season.
As for the Biancorossi, they won the hard game with Frosinone, the team directly above them, thanks to the last minute goal by Jonathan De Guzman. Despite the aspect of being six points clear Verona, Carpi must pay attention during the Bentegodi match because this could be a great opportunity to take advantage of a possible Palermo defeat against Empoli.
This is the first Serie A season in Carpi’s history after an amazing climb from Serie D. All these seasons have had a point in common – the midfielder Lorenzo Pasciuti, the unique player in Italian football history able to score at least one goal in all the football competitions from Serie D to Serie A with the same team. The previous record was by Raffaele Rubino, a Novara striker able to score from Serie C2 to Serie A.
Giancarlo Romairone, Carpi team manager, expressed the importance of the game to Tuttomercatoweb. “The fixture against Verona will be so difficult. We must play with the calm derived from our work during this season”.
Palermo seems to have let their guard down because of their club’s problems and that’s the reason why both of the teams must give all they have to obtain the win. Opportunities to pull away from relegation are running out.
Keep an eye on: Luca Toni (Verona) – The striker was born in Pavullo nel Frignano, a small town near Modena. This place is almost 70 km away from Carpi (about one hour by car), so this fixture is a sort of ″derby″ for him. The Serie A top-scorer last season, together with Inter’s Mauro Icardi, has scored so far only five goals in 18 fixtures. This could be one of the reasons why Verona is situated in the relegation zone at the moment.
Form Guide: Verona (D L L W L) Carpi (W D D D L)
Last season: None
Stat fact: This is the second time Verona and Carpi face each other, the first time at Stadio Marc’Antonio Bentegodi. The first round game was a stalemate and was useful for neither of the two.
Verona (4-4-2): Gollini; Pisano, Moras, Helander, Fares; Wszolek, Marrone, Ionita, Siligardi; Pazzini, Toni.
Suspended: None
Carpi (4-4-1-1): Belec; Zaccardo, Romagnoli, Gagliolo, Letizia; Pasciuti, Bianco, Cofie, Di Gaudio; Lollo; Mancosu.
Suspended: None
Published in Football Italia on 18/03/2016.
