Verona vs Perugia Predictions

The fight for Serie A kicks off this weekend, as Serie B’s sprawling playoffs begin. With the top two already up, the sides down to eighth have a chance to join them in the top flight next season. However, will it be Hellas Verona or Perugia? Both sides have a long way to go as they kick off this quarter-final playoff clash on Saturday. They will both be aiming to make it back to Serie A, but just who will claim the victory in this one off meeting on Saturday?

Hellas Verona are aiming to bounce back at the first time of asking, having finished 19th in Serie A last season. They had just one year back in the top flight, but they were unable to extend their stay among Italy’s elite. Now Verona are aiming to swap places with city rivals Chievo, who have been relegated as the bottom side in Serie A this term. The hosts didn’t make the greatest push to return after losing 10 of their 36 matches this season, but they are favourites to come through the preliminary round of the playoffs.

Part of the confidence in Verona is the fact that Perugia didn’t even qualify for the playoffs this season. They finished up in ninth place in the 19 team league, which left them a point shy of the playoffs. However, Palermo – who finished third – were demoted to Serie C over administrative offences, which allowed Perugia to sneak into the mix. They haven’t exactly looked like a side on their way to promotion this season, but could they defy the odds and make it?

It’s hard to see either of these two teams finishing up in Serie A. Neither of them have a great record of late, which has left them out of form. Verona have won once in their last nine, while Perugia have won just once in their last eight games. When you consider that Verona won 13 games this term – with four of them coming in the first five – they’ve clearly been inconsistent in recent months. That’s in part due to some poor defending, having conceded in 83% of their matches.

Verona saw both teams score in 72% of their home games, while it landed in both clashes with Perugia this term. Meanwhile, the visitors scored in 78% of their trips, which we can see them adding to. They scored at seven of the eight sides who finished above them while conceding in all eight. Meanwhile, all but one of the top 10 managed to score at Verona this season, with the last four head to head meetings between these two also seeing both sides score. That has us backing BTTS when these two meet on Saturday.