Lazio midfielder Senad Lulić (L) competes for the ball against Genoa's Blerin Dzemaili. (Photo : Getty Images)
Struggling teams SS Lazio (9-9-6, 33 points) and Hellas Verona FC (1-11-12, 15 points) are set to face each other in a 2015-2016 Serie A season game at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome on Thursday as both teams try to bounce back from their dismal performances last week.
Lazio settled for a goalless away draw with lowly squad Genoa CFC last Saturday at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris, as reported by Football Italia.
I Biancocelesti forward Stefano Mauri had the best chance in the entire game to score a goal, but his shot from just outside the box hit the crossbar and so they salvage a point with I Rossoblu in the league's overall standings.
Head coach Stefano Pioli came into the match with a lot of players sidelined, including Antonio Candreva, Milan Bisevac, Ricardo Kishna, Lucas Biglia, Stefan Radu, Stefan de Vrij, and a suspended Alessandro Matri while Il Grifone had a complete roster to host them, which could best explain their lackluster performance.
The draw was Lazio's third in its last five matches as they had been winless for three straight games. They are currently at the ninth spot in the league table, just a point behind Sassuolo and Empoli who share the seventh and eighth spots.
Meanwhile, Verona gave Inter Milan, the erstwhile league leaders a big scare at the Stadio Marc'Antonio Bentegodi as they forced the visitors to also a 3-3 draw on Sunday, via Goal.
The Mastiffs had only won once so far in the season, a 2-1 win over Atalanta on Feb. 3, which made them a huge underdog going into the match.
Inter's Colombian center back Jeison Murillo started the scoring at the 8th minute but it was quickly answered by a goal from Verona's Swede defender Filip Helander four minutes later.
Another goal by Luigi Delneri's boys at the 16th, courtesy of a header from another defender, Eros Pisano, gave the bottom-dwellers the lead at the half, 2-1.
Verona midfielder Artur Ionita made it 3-1 at the 57th as the hosts try to pull off a massive upset against a top contender.
However, I Nerazzurri bounced back late with one goal apiece from team captain Mauro Icardi and midfielder Ivan Perisic at the 61st and 78th to knot the game.
Gialloblu stayed at the bottom of the standings and are four points away from the nearest team above, Frosinone, who had also been struggling with four losses in their last six outings.
The predicted result is a close 2-1 win for Lazio. Verona still has one more to unload on offense, but Le Aquile is ripe for a bounce back.
Lazio starting lineup (4-3-3 formation): Marchetti; Basta, Mauricio, Hoedt, Konko; Milinkovic-Savic, Cataldi, Mandziuk; Anderson, Djordjevic, Mauri
Verona starting lineup (4-4-2 formation): Grassi; Pisano, Moras, Helander, Albertazzi; Wszolek, Ionita, Marrone, Fares; Toni, Pazzini
