📢 What to expect from the Serie A opening round clash between Udinese and Verona? Last season, these teams were neck and neck: the "Little Zebras" finished 12th, while the "Mastiffs" took 14th place, with just seven points separating them. Now, it's a fresh start for both sides. The match will take place at the Dacia Arena in Udine, where the hosts will be seeking the support of their fans to kick off the season with a win. Verona, on the other hand, will aim to demonstrate that they can deliver a more assured campaign and steer clear of last year's unsettling swings at the bottom of the table.

Head-to-Head

📊 Over recent years, Udinese and Verona have faced off in 28 official matches, with the balance of power between them appearing quite even. The "Little Zebras" have claimed victory 9 times, while the "Mastiffs" have triumphed on 8 occasions, and 11 matches have ended in a draw. Notably, last season's first encounter concluded in a cautious 0-0 stalemate, with both teams playing very conservatively. In the second round, Verona managed to secure a narrow 1-0 away win, capitalizing on their opportunity and maintaining their lead.

Udinese Calcio Team Overview

⚪ Last season, the "Little Zebras" finished in 12th place, amassing 44 points. At first glance, it's a respectable outcome for a mid-table team, but the end of the campaign was disastrous: they suffered eight defeats and managed just one win in their last ten matches. This poor run dropped Udinese into the lower part of the table, leaving a bitter aftertaste.

📌 In the off-season, the team managed to reset and demonstrated they are ready to move past previous failures. Their pre-season kicked off with a loss, but was followed by a streak of five consecutive victories, including a convincing performance against a solid Strasbourg (2-1).

🔁 On the transfer market, Udinese were active, spending €27 million. The club brought in several new players, though none are high-profile names. Nevertheless, the volume of deals and investments indicates that management is keen to refresh the squad and add depth, which could be crucial in the prolonged battle for survival in Serie A.

Hellas Verona Team Overview

🟡 Last season was a survival battle for the "Mastiffs." The team hovered near the relegation zone for much of the campaign, but managed to stay in Serie A thanks to a slight points cushion. They finished 14th, just six points clear of the drop. However, the end of the season was nerve-wracking: Verona secured only one win in their final nine matches.

📌 The pre-season offered little comfort to supporters. Their friendly matches were lackluster, failing to deliver convincing performances. Adding to the concern was their Italian Cup outing, where Verona barely scraped past a third-division club, Audace Cerignola. The match ended in a 1-1 draw in regulation time, and only a 4-2 penalty shootout victory secured their place in the next round.

🔁 The transfer window didn't bring much joy to the fans either. The club spent just under €14 million, primarily on securing permanent deals for players who were on loan last season. However, Verona lost two key players in the process. Right-back Jackson Tchatcheu moved to Wolverhampton for €12.5 million, and promising center-back Diego Coppola was sold to Brighton for €11 million.

Latest news

Udinese Calcio

📣 Udinese head coach Kosta Runjaic, following the 2-0 home cup victory over Carrarese, praised the opponent's performance and emphasized the valuable experience gained by his team: "First of all, I want to congratulate the team: we won at home, in front of our fans, against an opponent with an intriguing style. They moved the ball well and were very dynamic — it was impressive. This was a good test that provided us with initial insights. We will analyze the game in detail. Up next is the match against Verona, and we have areas to work on and focus on. It's great that we won. Tomorrow, we'll have a short session for those who didn't play today and start preparing for the next match."

🚫 Udinese have no injury concerns ahead of the match — all players are available to the coaching staff.

Hellas Verona

📣 Verona's head coach Paolo Zanetti focused on evaluating the team's performance after the cup match: "Right now, it's not about transfers, but about the game. I anticipated a tough match; encounters against teams with nothing to lose are always historically challenging. We played in segments—at times showing excellent actions, but couldn't maintain the rhythm, alternating between strong and weak phases. Now we have a week to prepare as best as possible for the start of the championship."

🚫 Verona are facing some squad issues. Nicolas Valentini is sidelined with a muscle injury and will return only at the beginning of September, while Tomas Suslov suffered a serious cruciate ligament injury and will be out until the end of February 2026.

⚽️ Goal Predictions

⚽️ Goal Predictions

Both teams prioritize defensive reliability, a strategy evident in their head-to-head encounters. Last season, for instance, Udinese and Verona managed just a single goal across their two matches: they first settled for a 0-0 draw, followed by a narrow 1-0 victory for the "Mastiffs." In light of this, betting on under 2.5 goals total appears to be the most reasonable choice.

🚩 Corner Predictions

In clashes between Udinese and Verona, the "Little Zebras" often take the initiative and put more pressure on the opposition's defense, which is reflected in corner statistics. In 12 of their last 14 Serie A meetings, the club has delivered at least five corners. Therefore, betting on Udinese's individual total of over 4.5 corners seems like a logical option.