Spezia vs Hellas Verona odds and betting statistics
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Spezia vs Hellas Verona recommended bets
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Spezia vs Hellas Verona match preview
For the first time in 18 years, a play-out will be used to decide who is relegated from Serie A.
A relegation play-out is actually a lot more common than you might think, having been played 14 times previously: 1925, 1932, 1943, 1952, 1954, 1961, 1964, 1993, 1995, 1997, 2001, 2003, 2004 and 2005.
The potential for this, to either determine relegation or the Scudetto winners, was only reintroduced last summer so, as fate would have it, one is required here.
Spezia and Hellas Verona finished 17th and 18th respectively, level on 31 points, meaning this season-defining, one-off match in Reggio Emilia will take place.
On the final day of the season, Spezia could have saved themselves, leading 1-0 at Stadio Olimpico through Dimitrios Nikolaou, only for Roma to fight back and win 2-1.
So, I Aquilotti concluded the season by winning just one of their final 12 games, a famous 2-0 victory over A.C. Milan last month.
Hellas Verona meantime beat the drop in a relegation play-out 22 years ago, defeating Reggina on away goals, winning 1-0 at home before a 2-1 defeat in Calabria three days later.
This time, I Gialloblu are hoping for a repeat, having been beaten 3-1 by Milan at San Siro last Sunday.
Marco Zaffaroni’s picked up just one point from their final four matches, their only victories since mid-February coming against Sassuolo, Bologna and Lecce.
During the season, Spezia beat Verona 2-1 at Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi in November, before the pair played out a goalless draw at Stadio Alberto Picco in March.
Under last season’s rules, where head-to-head was the primary tie-breaker, Spezia would already be safe.
It simply doesn’t get any bigger than this, so who will prevail at Stadio Città del Tricolore?
Remember, if the score is level after 90 minutes, no extra time will be played; it’ll be straight to penalties!
